The Democratic Party of Japan-led ruling coalition said Tuesday it will put off resolving the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma until next year, effectively prolonging an issue that has raised tension between Tokyo and Washington as well as within the ruling coalition.
The decision, which Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama called "the government's position," puts forward that the DPJ, the Social Democratic Party and Kokumin Shinto (People's New Party) will maintain their trilateral discussions and continue seeking an appropriate relocation site for the base.
The government will set up a new committee to study the issue but will also allocate funds in the fiscal 2010 budget for the Futenma relocation without a finalized site.