Okinawa Gov. Keiichi Inamine on Tuesday rejected a proposal made by a Pentagon-sponsored think tank that the U.S. Air Force use one or more of the southern Ryukyu Islands in return for reducing or eliminating the presence of marines in the prefecture.
Speaking in Washington, Inamine told reporters the proposal put forward by the Rand think tank contains problems and these are "unacceptable."
The report says the U.S. administration should consider persuading Japan to grant use of airfields and other facilities in the southern Ryukyu Islands by the U.S. Air Force in the event of armed conflict between Taiwan and mainland China.
Inamine said the proposed consolidation of U.S. bases in Okinawa should involve not only reducing their size but their total military capability.