The replacement of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa is "now the responsibility of the government of Japan" under the terms of a long-stalled agreement, according to former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.

Stating his position in a recent interview, Armitage also acknowledged that alternative solutions such as moving the Futenma operations to the U.S. mainland or Hawaii "could happen."

Meanwhile, on heightened tensions between Japan and China, Armitage said that although he believes the possibility of conflict is low, the risk of an accident is higher and both sides need to maintain "excellent communications" between not only top leaders but also their respective ground-level commanders over the disputed Senkaku Islands, known by the Chinese as Diaoyu, to keep hostilities from erupting.