Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki on Wednesday in Washington asked United States officials to engage in three-way talks with the Okinawa and Japanese governments as part of his campaign to oppose the relocation of a U.S. air base within the island prefecture.

Tamaki, who is on a trip to the U.S. this week, said he made the request to U.S. State and Defense Department officials but they did not give a specific reply.

During the meeting, joined by officials such as Marc Knapper, acting deputy assistant secretary of state, Tamaki said he conveyed his opposition to the plan to move U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from a crowded residential area in Ginowan to the less populated coastal district of Henoko in Nago.