Okinawa

The Japanese Cabinet has approved new spending on missile-defense systems jointly developed with the United States as part of its 2017 defense budget proposal.

The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit could leave Okinawa without sacrificing its value as a security provider in the Asia-Pacific, a Japanese think tank said following a study of alternatives to building a new runway opposed by the island’s governor.

President Barack Obama and Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will discuss the case of a U.S. civilian suspected of murder on Okinawa prior to the G7 economic summit in Ise-shima, a Japan foreign ministry official said Tuesday.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy reiterated support for ongoing efforts to relocate a Marine base on Okinawa and advocated for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, during a press conference Thursday.

Three districts near the construction site of a contentious Marine runway in Okinawa will receive direct federal subsidies of a yet-to-be-determined amount in what may be a government bid to soften protests over the project.

The Marine Corps in just over a week has been hit by a rash of criminal allegations — mostly drinking-and-driving incidents — a marked jump in incidents following more than two years of relative calm.