The Japanese media, however, reported that the Social Democratic Party and the People’s New Party were strongly opposed to the proposed plans.
Both parties are members of the ruling coalition.
To break the deadlock, the Defense Ministry and the People’s New Party are considering proposing the temporary relocation of Futenma base to the inland area of Camp Schwab, and then seek to relocate it to an area off White Beach or to Guam, according to the Mainichi Daily News.
The Japanese government will hold negotiations with the U.S. and the Okinawa prefectural government to work out the two proposed plans, according to the Mainichi Daily News.
Japan Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada is expected to discuss the proposals with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates during his trip to Japan.
One of the plans is to construct a 500-meter runway in the inland area of Camp Schwab in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture. The other plan would be to construct a substitute facility on a man-made island to be built off a U.S. base in the White Beach district of Uruma, Okinawa Prefecture.
The Japanese government also intends to propose the relocation of the site for some of the functions of Futenma base to an area outside the prefecture, such as Tokunoshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, according to the Mainichi Daily News.
Japan Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano met members of the ruling party, including Social Democratic Party policy board chairwoman Tomoko Abe and People’s New Party Diet Affairs committee chairman Mikio Shimoji, and told them that the government was supposed to work out a relocation plan by the end of March.
However, both voiced stiff opposition to the construction of a man-made island off White Beach and local governments also objected to the plan, according to the Mainichi Daily News.
No word yet as to whether the relocation plans have been finalized.
Abe and Shimoji were part of the Japanese delegation that met with local officials recently.
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