The U.S. military base in Okinawa was changed from relocated to new construction: against North Korea and China

Text|laughing

What can Japan's Supreme Court do? It was already clear through a verdict in early September.

On September 4, Japan's Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Japanese government's move forward with the relocation of a U.S. military base in Okinawa. But in fact, the Japanese government's so-called "relocation" is actually a new construction.

Okinawa Prefecture Governor Tamaki Danny prepares to travel to Geneva, Switzerland, to deliver a speech at the UN Human Rights Council Photo: CCTV news screenshot

In this regard, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Tamaki Denny said on September 8 that he would go to Geneva, Switzerland, to the UN Human Rights Council to give a speech on the issue of US military bases in Japan.

It can be seen that Tamaki Danny is not satisfied with the judgment of the Japanese Supreme Court, and he is also dissatisfied with the Kishida Fumio authorities...

01

Looking back at the origin of the matter -

Under an agreement between Japan and the United States, the Futenma U.S. military base, located near the residential area of Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture, will be relocated to the relatively less densely populated area of Henanoko, Nago City.

The people in Okinawa originally hoped that with the relocation of the US military, there would be some stops near Futenma, at least the noise of the takeoff and landing of US military aircraft would be much less than in the past.

But who knows, judging from the current situation, the attitude of the Kishida Fumio administration and the US military, where is the US military relocated? Obviously it is an expansion base!

U.S. military Futenma base in Japan photographed on May 19, 2010 Photo: Xinhua News Agency

Compared to the old base in Futenma, the new base site in the new Nago City Henoko area is much larger, and even the land will be reclaimed and two new airstrips will be built.

The problem is that Okinawa is such a large area — about 0.6 percent of Japan's land area — that already houses 74 percent of the U.S. military's facilities and more than 70 percent of its military personnel. In addition, the US military claims to strengthen military cooperation between the United States and Japan, so it will expand barracks and garrisons in Okinawa, including the deployment of more missiles, aircraft, and ships of various types.

In this way, after the completion of the new base of the US military, it is still unknown whether the old base located in Futianma will necessarily be abandoned.

Under these circumstances, the people of Okinawa Prefecture are strongly dissatisfied with this.

People protest the verdict outside Japan's Supreme Court outside Japan's Supreme Court in Tokyo, Japan, December 20, 2016 Photo: Xinhua News Agency

From the joy when Japan and the United States reached an agreement in 1996 when they thought that the US military would leave, to the indignation when they discovered that the US military had actually expanded its base in Okinawa in 2016, to the fact that even local governors have to complain to the United Nations, the opposition and helplessness of the Okinawa people to the US military base can be seen.

02

So why did the U.S. military base go from relocation to expansion? Or did the US military not think about relocating at all?

Anyway, at present, the expansion of the US military's base, according to its own words, is aimed at North Korea and China.

Why are US troops stationed in Japan? The reason is simple – with the imminent victory of the Allies in World War II, it is necessary to guard against the resurgence of Japanese imperialism. Therefore, it was necessary for the Allies to be stationed in Japan.

But that does not mean that the US military is qualified to be stationed in Japan, nor does it mean that the US military should be stationed in Okinawa!

In fact, at that time, China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, etc., were eligible to be stationed in Japan. We have even discussed the distribution of countries stationed in Japan.

But with the onset of the Cold War, including the Chinese Civil War, the Soviet Union, China, and the United Kingdom did not send large numbers of troops to Japan. However, the Chinese side actually sent a military delegation to Japan by the Kuomintang government, symbolically fulfilling the commitment to stationing troops.

On September 2, 1945, on the USS Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay, Japan signed the instrument of surrender under the gaze of representatives of nine surrendered countries, including China

Today, the US military is in collusion with Japan's Self-Defense Forces and is actually using US military bases in Japan to deal with China. Isn't this a ridiculous move?

Should China propose, and re-station, Japan in accordance with the agreement reached between China and the United States, the Soviet Union and Britain that year? In the opinion of Xiaojiu, this point can be raised, ask the US side!

03

Why did the US military put the vast majority of its bases and personnel stationed in Japan in Okinawa? Is Okinawa, the Ryukyu Islands, considered Japanese territory? Isn't this clear by looking at the Potsdam Proclamation?

Article 8 of the Potsdam Proclamation stipulates: "The conditions of the Cairo Declaration shall be enforced, and Japan's sovereignty shall be limited to Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku, and such other small islands as we may determine."

My people, that is, the allies.

Potsdam Conference

In the early 70s of last century, the United States privately granted Japan the right to govern the Ryukyu Islands, which had been granted to the United States under trusteeship by the United Nations. Such acts are, of course, contrary to international law and the general principles of international relations. After this, Japan reset Okinawa Prefecture.

Since then, the United States has concentrated more and more US troops stationed in Japan in Okinawa and has been rearming the war.

In Xiaojian's view, the current expansion of the US military base in Okinawa is essentially to kidnap Okinawa as a military base as a whole. Why do the people of Okinawa suffer so much?

Okinawa Prefecture Governor Tamaki Denny now criticizes the relocation plan as "relocation, but it is actually new", calling for further reduction in the number of US troops stationed until the base is closed and Futenma is returned to the Okinawan people. However, without strong intervention from the outside world, it seems difficult to change the situation in which the United States does not leave. Generally speaking, the base relocation plan formulated by Japan and the United States is actually a new base, and more emphasis is placed on offensive military objectives, which is even more disregarding the safety and well-being of the Okinawa people. What's the matter? Okinawans really should ponder...

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