WASHINGTON (Kyodo) U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said Wednesday he hopes for a resolution to the issue of relocating U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa by around the end of this spring.
In Tokyo, the top government spokesman said Thursday that Japan is not considering putting a deadline on settling the relocation issue, while the governor of Okinawa showed displeasure following Gates' remarks.
In a House Armed Services Committee hearing, Gates also said the resolution is a prerequisite for the transfer of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam and the return of U.S. bases south of the Kadena Air Base to the Japanese side.