Japan Press Weekly

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2016 August 3 - 9 [POLITICS]

Okinawa’s opposition to Henoko base will lead to cuts in state budget for Okinawa development: Cabinet spokesman

Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide on August 4 at a press conference said that Tokyo will probably slash the Okinawa development budget in response to the delay in the Henoko base construction due to Okinawa’s resistance.

The government had previously indicated that the amount of the Okinawa development budget will not be affected by the prefecture’s objection to the new U.S. base construction.

However, Suga, who is also the Minister in charge of Alleviating Burden of the Bases in Okinawa, said that it is a given that if Okinawa hampers the progress in the Henoko base construction work, it will suffer a reduction in the development budget.

New Okinawa Affairs Minister Tsuruho Yosuke at a press conference on the same day showed the same stance as the Cabinet spokesman.