Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced on Friday he has agreed to suspend construction of a controversial US military base on Okinawa, a rare conciliatory step aimed at easing tension with the southern island.
Still, Abe reiterated there is no change to his policy that a new US Marine air base must be built in a remote part of Okinawa to replace an existing one in a heavily populated area widely seen as a danger to residents.
The deal, brokered by a court on the island, means Okinawa and Tokyo will drop rival lawsuits against each other and resume talks in a bid to reach a compromise. If the renewed dialogue fails, the two sides will promise to abide by a court ruling.
It came amid deepening mistrust between central authorities and island, considered a strategic linchpin for the US and Japan as they face China’s increasing military might and the regional threat of North Korean missiles.
Pacifist sentiments run high on Okinawa, the site of a bloody World War II battle between Japan and the US, makes up less than one per cent of Japan’s total land area but is home to about 75pc of US military bases in the country.
More than half of the 47,000 American military personnel in the country are stationed on Okinawa, the plight of which has become a lightning rod for political opposition to the hawkish Abe.