The United States will continue to back plans to relocate the U.S. Marine base at Futenma to Henoko, both in Okinawa, despite the surprise decision by Tokyo to suspend construction for a month due to opposition in the prefecture over the project, a U.S. official in Washington said Tuesday.

"We are confident that both sides remain committed to implementing the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to Camp Schwab at Henoko Bay. We believe construction . . . is the result of many years of sustained work between the U.S. and Japan, and is a critical step towards realizing our shared vision for the realignment of U.S. forces in Okinawa," U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner told reporters in Washington on Tuesday.

He added that differences between Okinawa and Tokyo over the Henoko project are internal political problems.