U.S. Marine base in Guam to be constructed at Japan’s expense

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

U.S. Marine base in Guam to be constructed at Japan’s expense

The Defense Ministry’s budget request for the next fiscal year starting April 1, 2009 includes funding for the construction of the U.S. Marine base in U.S. Guam.

There is no precedent for a foreign government to pay for constructing a base on U.S. territory.

Japan and the United States agreed in April 2006 to relocate U.S. Marines stationed in Okinawa to Guam, and Japan promised to pay 2.8 billion dollars for the construction of the U.S. Marine headquarters and 3.3 billion dollars for housing families of military personnel and providing electricity.

Expenses for a survey for the planned relocation to Guam have been budgeted before, but the latest budget request is the first to include funding for the construction itself. This means that Japanese tax money will be used to strengthen the U.S. military base in Guam.

As part of the U.S. military relocation program, 8,000 U.S. Marines are to be moved to Guam from Okinawa, ostensibly with the aim of reducing the burden on Okinawa. However, 10,000 troops that constitute the core of the Marine presence in Japan will remain in Okinawa. -Akahata, August 30, 2008