politics

U.S. to appoint Japan specialist for defense cost-sharing talks

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Cost sharing should be USA pays rent.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Since it is a Trump appointment, it is temporary as the current administration will be out-of-power next year. And, indeed, the USA, should be negotiating either withdrawal of its forces or paying market value in terms of rent. That and jailing its miscreant soldiers who commit crimes off-base and handing them over to Japanese authorities. Especially, in Okinawa where there is a continual litany of sexual assault by Marines and others.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

January 20, 2021, is less than six months away. Japan should stall, until sanity returns to the White House.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

I find it interesting how expats in Japan all seem to want the US to abandon Japan in the face of Chinese aggression. Sure, just walk away and the Chinese will attack as soon as US forces are gone. The Chinese dearly want to settle the score for WWII. I wonder what actual Japanese feel about it? The US could walk away from South Korea and Japan and let them fed for themselves. Just let two democracies be consumed by a single party police state their people left to suffer under despotic Chinese aligned regimes. Is that what you really want the US to do? Walk away and let China have its way? Do you value your freedom and elected governance? Be honest for once please.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@Desert Tortoise, I left Japan a while ago, I still have family there. I think the USA have a duty of care towards Japan, after insisting it's military was decimated post WW2. If they insist on leaving there should be assistance and reparations and a slow withdrawal, so Japan has time to build a military at a minimum. That said, it's crazy out here, Americans don't care about each other, let alone people in Japan. Stay safe!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

If I understand correctly Japan already pays about 80% of the costs of US military presence in Japan. If so, to make demands for greater payment by Japan is fine but the US would need to increase what to has to offer. After Trump is out and Biden starts rebuilding our global alliances that Trump has crapped on, I am certain an even more solid US-JPN alliance will develop, an absolute necessity for the US and the world, in the face of the ever increasing Chinese threat. Japan will never terminate the Mutual Defense Treaty as long as it does not want to become a nuclear power. And I see little to no chance of that. And the US needs Japan as a hub for all regional operations.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"assistance and reparations"

Reparations for what? Japan attacked the US. Why does the US owe Japan reparations? That is ridiculous.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"If I understand correctly Japan already pays about 80% of the costs of US military presence in Japan."

When I was on active duty the running joke in the 7th Fleet was that the old USS Midway was effectively Japan's first post WWII aircraft carrier. Japan footed a huge chunk of the bill to operate and maintain that ship. It hadn't been in a US yard in ages. All its overhauls were in Yokosuka. Pilots who deployed on her mentioned the Japanese characters written in marker on the inside of the hull by Japanese shipyard workers, dimensions and other details shipyard workers needed to complete their work.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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