U.S. government officials expressed hope that the Futenma airfield will be replaced within Okinawa in line with the bilateral agreement despite Gov. Takeshi Onaga's announcement that he will seek to block the plan.

John Kirby, a State Department spokesman, told reporters Monday he is "confident" that both Washington and Tokyo are committed to implementing the replacement of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, which is in a crowded residential area in Ginowan, with a new partially offshore airstrip in less densely populated Nago.

Kirby made the remark after being asked to comment on Onaga's announcement that he will revoke approval for landfill work for the new base that had been granted by his predecessor, Hirokazu Nakaima.