ID :
158281
Thu, 01/27/2011 - 17:05
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/158281
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US positive for Japan's future participation in exercises
TOKYO (KYODO) - Adm. Robert Willard, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, struck a positive note Thursday for Japan's future participation in exercises of the U.S. and South Korean militaries as part of efforts to address regional challenges such as North Korea.
Willard told reporters at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo that ''there's a good chance at some point in the future'' that the three nations could come together for exercises given their growing discussions for further cooperation and their ''natural interoperable capability.''
He also noted that both Japan and South Korea are allies of the United States but said the decision would ultimately be left to the governments of Japan and South Korea.
His remarks come amid growing calls for closer cooperation between Tokyo, Washington and Seoul to deter North Korea following escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula caused by the North's deadly artillery attack in November on South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island.
Following that incident, U.S.-South Korean exercises saw the presence of officers from Japan's Self-Defense Forces as observers, while South Korea was also an observer in the subsequent Japan-U.S. exercises -- moves which are seen as encouraging on Washington's part, Willard said.
Also speaking along the same line was Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during his visit to Japan last year. In a news conference Mullen noted the importance of the three nations taking part in joint military drills.
Willard also underscored the key role of the U.S. security alliance with Japan in ensuring peace in the Northeast Asian region and welcomed a pact signed this month between their two countries on Tokyo covering the annual costs of hosting U.S. bases.
He voiced his understanding over changes under the newly agreed special measures agreement on Tokyo's host nation support, saying that maintaining it ''at the previous year's level over time inevitably erodes the total amount of resources available and there are going to have to be adjustments made.''
The accord includes a cut in the number of Japanese working for the U.S. military, whose salaries are covered by the Japanese government.
Willard welcomed Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara's remark that Tokyo will no longer use the term ''sympathy budget'' to describe the host-nation support because the spending serves Japan's strategic interests.
The commander also touched on China's recent test-flight of the J-20 -- which has been a topic of key interest for the United States as well as Beijing's neighbors -- and said the disclosure of China's first radar-evading stealth fighter ''does clearly represent an advancement in capability.''
==Kyodo
2011-01-27 23:13:00
Willard told reporters at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo that ''there's a good chance at some point in the future'' that the three nations could come together for exercises given their growing discussions for further cooperation and their ''natural interoperable capability.''
He also noted that both Japan and South Korea are allies of the United States but said the decision would ultimately be left to the governments of Japan and South Korea.
His remarks come amid growing calls for closer cooperation between Tokyo, Washington and Seoul to deter North Korea following escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula caused by the North's deadly artillery attack in November on South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island.
Following that incident, U.S.-South Korean exercises saw the presence of officers from Japan's Self-Defense Forces as observers, while South Korea was also an observer in the subsequent Japan-U.S. exercises -- moves which are seen as encouraging on Washington's part, Willard said.
Also speaking along the same line was Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during his visit to Japan last year. In a news conference Mullen noted the importance of the three nations taking part in joint military drills.
Willard also underscored the key role of the U.S. security alliance with Japan in ensuring peace in the Northeast Asian region and welcomed a pact signed this month between their two countries on Tokyo covering the annual costs of hosting U.S. bases.
He voiced his understanding over changes under the newly agreed special measures agreement on Tokyo's host nation support, saying that maintaining it ''at the previous year's level over time inevitably erodes the total amount of resources available and there are going to have to be adjustments made.''
The accord includes a cut in the number of Japanese working for the U.S. military, whose salaries are covered by the Japanese government.
Willard welcomed Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara's remark that Tokyo will no longer use the term ''sympathy budget'' to describe the host-nation support because the spending serves Japan's strategic interests.
The commander also touched on China's recent test-flight of the J-20 -- which has been a topic of key interest for the United States as well as Beijing's neighbors -- and said the disclosure of China's first radar-evading stealth fighter ''does clearly represent an advancement in capability.''
==Kyodo
2011-01-27 23:13:00
