Japan PM close to deal on controversial U.S. base on Okinawa

(Reuters) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday moved close to winning approval from the island of Okinawa on a replacement for a U.S. air base, a move that would resolve a nearly 20-year-old deadlock that has strained ties with Washington.

A deal with officials in Okinawa would be an achievement for Abe, who has promised a more assertive Japanese military at a time when the U.S.-Japan security alliance has been tested by tension with China over disputed islands in the Pacific.

The potential breakthrough came at a meeting between Abe and Okinawa's governor, Hirokazu Nakaima, who has held an effective veto over long-delayed plans to build a new U.S. Marine air base to replace the Futenma base.

Nakaima praised Abe for offering a range of concessions to address various worries, including promises of larger budget outlays on Okinawa over the next seven years and the prospect of a tighter environmental controls over U.S. bases.

"What has been offered is surprising and splendid," Nakaima told Abe, adding later that he would make a final decision on approving construction of a new base on Friday.


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