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| Futenma Airbase (File Photo) |
By Clint Richards
An inability to reach a settlement could have implications for the effectiveness of allied forces in the region.
Sunday’s election of independent candidate Takeshi Ogaga as governor of Okinawa could pose severe problems for the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and potentially the structure of Japan’s most strategic alliance with the U.S. While the ultimate fate of the new air base in the Henoko district of Nago is now uncertain, it highlights how fragile this linchpin in the U.S. military’s strategic presence in East Asia has become over the last few years. It will take some very delicate political maneuvering – or perhaps some heavy-handed government control – to keep the base transfer agreement intact.
The election and subsequent attack on the base by the new governor could hardly come at a more inopportune time for the U.S., Japan and their alliance structure. On the same day, at the G20 Summit in Brisbane, U.S. President Barack Obama and his Japanese and Australian counterparts were agreeing to “deepen their military cooperation and work together on strengthening maritime security in the Asia-Pacific region.” While their statements did not include any explicit references to U.S. forces based in Okinawa, they were clearly directed at China’s growing military presence in the region, against which Okinawa is a vital outpost in the East China Sea.
After his victory was announced on Sunday night, Onaga made it clear that he wouldn’t “let [the Japanese government] build a new base off the sea of Henoko.” Even though Onaga and his main challenger, the incumbent Hirozakuza Nakaima, both ran as independents, Onaga was backed by three opposition parties while Nakaima had the support of the ruling LDP. Nakaima’s support for the base transfer and his acceptance of a large assistance package in exchange for his cooperation were clearly factors in Onaga’s impressive victory.
Read the full story at The Diplomat