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Japan wants to slash billions it pays to support US bases

As Japan shoulders more of its own defence, it aims to reduce payments to US by billions of yen

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One of the US bases is Camp Schwab, off the tiny hamlet of Henoko in Nago on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa. Photo: Reuters

Japan has informed the United States that it wants to cut billions of yen from the amount it pays for US military facilities and personnel in Japan.

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A report in the said Tokyo has told Washington that as new security legislation has been passed recently and Japan will be doing more to ensure its own defence, it is appropriate that Tokyo pays less for American troops and facilities based here under the 2016 budget.

At present, Japan pays ¥189.9 billion (HK$12.28 billion) a year, covering around 90 per cent of the pay for the 25,000 Japanese nationals who work on US military installations as well as all utility costs at housing facilities.

Given Japan's well-publicised financial problems, Tokyo is aiming to halt the utilities payments entirely and reduce the amount paid to civilian workers on the bases. That could save the government tens of billions of yen every year.

The US Embassy in Tokyo declined to comment to the on the report, while Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs would only confirm that the joint Security Consultative Committee agreed in April that the two sides would "start consultations about host nation support".

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