U.S. urges Japan to shoulder more of costs for hosting American troops

[艹艹艹]

U.S. urges Japan to shoulder more of costs for hosting American troops
Jul 29, 2021

The United States has urged Japan to shoulder more for hosting American troops during preparatory talks on a fresh cost-sharing agreement from fiscal 2022 and onward, according to diplomatic sources.

The two allies will launch full-fledged, working-level talks in early August in the United States to conclude the multiyear agreement as Tokyo seeks to convince Washington it cannot greatly increase its burden due to strained finances, the sources said Wednesday.

The United States is urging Japan to increase its burden as it seeks to raise the presence of the U.S. military in the Indo-Pacific region in the face of China’s military expansion, according to the sources.

The two countries aim to conclude the negotiations by the end of this year, the sources said.

Japan will be represented by Yutaka Arima, deputy director general for the Foreign Ministry’s North American Affairs Bureau, and Taro Yamato, deputy director general for defense policy at the Defense Ministry.

Donna Welton, senior adviser for security negotiations and agreements at the State Department and former political minister-counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Japan, will continue to take charge under the administration of President Joe Biden.

Welton had led the U.S. side’s talks under the administration of former President Donald Trump.

For fiscal 2021 through next March, Japan will shoulder ¥201.7 billion ($1.84 billion) in so-called host nation support, around the same level as the previous year.

The spending covers some of the expenses for the approximately 55,000 U.S. military personnel stationed in Japan, including utility and labor costs.

Japan wants the United States to understand that it is contributing as much as possible under tight finances and is also financially supporting works related to U.S. forces’ realignment, the sources said.

Japan also hopes to avoid increasing its contribution by convincing the United States that it is doing its part in strengthening the bilateral security alliance, including in cyberspace and outer space where China is increasing its clout, they said.

 

[Zsari]

Racketeering by definition.

 

[Song Hong]

Japan would rather the base shut down and Yankees go home. This is the only thing that prevents Japan from being a "normal" country,

 

[8888888888888]

 

[313ghazi]

It's ridiculous that Japan still hosts these troops of a country that invaded it over 75 years ago.

 

[casual]

Japanese government will say "yes daddy"