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U.S. to keep 100,000 troops in Far East

Japan's defense role tops summit agenda

April 17, 1996
Web posted at: 12:40 a.m. (0440 GMT)

TOKYO (CNN) -- The United States and Japan agreed Tuesday that the United States would keep 100,000 troops in the Far East, including about 47,000 in Japan, U.S. ambassador to Japan Walter Mondale said at a breakfast meeting in Japan Wednesday morning.

He told reporters that the Japanese government has agreed to pay $5 billion a year for the next five years to cover some of the cost of keeping the U.S. troops and equipment in Japan.(662K QuickTime movie)

Unlike previous presidential visits, President Clinton's visit to Japan is not expected to be dominated by economic disputes, although the United States says semiconductors, insurance, aviation and photographic film are troublesome issues requiring further progress on the Japanese side.

Instead, Clinton's summit with Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, which began Tuesday, will focus on reviewing their defense relationship under the U.S.-Japan security treaty that was last revised in 1960. It initially was signed in 1951 as a defensive alliance to protect Japan from possible Soviet aggression during the Cold War.

Clinton and Hashimoto will sign a joint security declaration later Wednesday, outlining the future terms of the U.S.-Japanese military relationship.

Earlier Tuesday, Clinton and South Korean President Kim Young Sam proposed that the United States and China sponsor peace talks between South Korea and North Korea. North Korea has violated rules of the armistice signed by the two countries in 1953 after the Korean War.

Japanese protesters greet Clinton

Despite Monday's announcement of a joint U.S.-Japan agreement to close or reduce in size 11 U.S. military installations on the island of Okinawa, Clinton was greeted Tuesday by thousands of protesters seeking even bigger reductions.

The demonstration was held at Yoyogi Park, about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) west of the guest house where Clinton and Hashimoto, their wives and other guests had an informal dinner.

Under the agreement for Okinawa, the United States will hand back 48 square kilometers (19.2 square miles) of military base land to the Okinawans. The push for reducing the U.S. presence on the island intensified after three U.S. servicemen raped a 12-year-old Japanese girl last September.

But Perry said the cuts would mean no drop in the 27,000 U.S. personnel based in Okinawa and no reduction in American military might in the region. The Japanese cabinet decided Tuesday that Tokyo would pay most of the relocation costs.

As part of the Okinawa deal, Japan also agreed to cooperate more closely with the United States in protecting the security of the region. In practical terms, Japan will provide military supplies for U.S. forces in peacetime and has agreed to study such a possibility in wartime.

Although Okinawa is only 1 percent of Japan's land area, the island, 1,000 kilometers (650 miles) south of Tokyo, is home to 75 percent of U.S. bases and about half of the 47,000 military personnel in Japan.

White House Correspondent Claire Shipman, Senior White House Correspondent Wolf Blitzer, the Associated Press, and Reuters contributed to this report.
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U.S. to keep 100,000 troops in Far East

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