The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan will pledge to stop the relocation of a U.S. military base to Okinawa Prefecture’s Henoko area in its upcoming general election campaign, CDP leader Yukio Edano said Friday.
“We’ll suspend the construction,” Edano told a news conference regarding the party’s election pledges, referring to the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, also in Okinawa, to the Henoko coastal area in Nago.
“We don’t think keeping the Futenma air base at the current location is acceptable. We’ll try to find a solution through discussions from scratch (with the United States),” Edano said.
The main opposition party’s campaign pledges for the election for the House of Representatives also include strengthening the Coast Guard in order to defend the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa. Chinese coast guard ships have repeatedly entered Japanese waters around the islands, which are also claimed by China.
The CDP also proposes building “an equal and constructive Japan-U.S. relationship.” With many U.S. military bases in Okinawa, the party said it will negotiate with the United States to review bases and revise the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement.
In addition, the CDP vows to strengthen international rule-making strategies in economic fields, including advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, as well as improve Japan’s food self-sufficiency.
The term of the current Lower House members is set to expire Oct. 21.
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