Okinawa, July 05: In the wake of a decision to relocate a controversial US airbase on the Japanese island of Okinawa, a report says Washington has asked Tokyo to shoulder millions of dollars in cost for the transfer of the base.
According to Japan’s Kyodo news agency, diplomatic sources from both sides revealed that US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates made a request for several hundred million dollars last month for the relocation.
The US demand came after officials assessed that accommodation and equipment costs were likely to exceed the first estimates.
Additional financial burden is expected to further complicate the already shaky relations between Washington and Tokyo due to disputes over where to relocate the Futenma Marine Corps Air Station.
Japan had initially accepted to pay over $6 billion out of an estimated $10.27 billion.
The additional costs for the already controversial relocation of the Futenma base to Guam island would also spark anger among the Japanese public which is grappling with massive debt and economic problems.
According to the report, the Japanese government plans to reply to the request after the country’s elections for the upper house of parliament are held on July 11.
——-Agencies