Home>News Center>World
         
 

Japan welcomes deal on US nuke carrier
(AP)
Updated: 2005-10-28 19:36

Basing a U.S. nuclear-powered warship in Japanese waters for the first time will boost stability in East Asia, Japan's government said Friday, hailing an agreement even as it drew protests from the community that will host the aircraft carrier.

The U.S. Navy on Thursday announced the deal, under which Japan — which the United States attacked with two nuclear bombs in World War II — dropped its longtime opposition to hosting a nuclear-powered warship in its territory.

"Japan believes that the continued presence of the U.S. Navy will contribute to safety and stability in Japan, the Far East and the world," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said Friday.

He said the agreement would not threaten the safety of Japanese residents, who have long been wary of a U.S. nuclear presence because of fears of radiation leaks.

"The U.S. side has told us that it will continue taking strict safety measures," he said, adding that the carrier — which has not been named — will stop its nuclear reactor while anchored in Japan and conduct no repairs of the reactor there.

The U.S. decided to deploy a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered carrier in Japan because it has far greater capabilities than traditional warships, U.S. Ambassador Thomas Schieffer said Friday at a news conference.

Schieffer said that Washington took into account the reluctance of the Japanese to host a nuclear-powered ship, but such ships are faster and more nimble than fossil-fuel powered ships.

"We want to assure all concerned that this carrier can and will be operated safely in Japanese waters," he told reporters at the U.S. Embassy, adding that nuclear-powered ships had made 1,200 visits to Japan over the past 40 years without harming the environment.

The plan immediately met with opposition from local officials south of Tokyo near the city of Yokosuka, home to the U.S. Seventh Fleet and the future base of the new warship.

"No safety tests can be conducted on nuclear-powered ships because Japanese law does not apply, and there is a great risk in the crowded area," said Shigefumi Matsuzawa, the governor of Kanagawa prefecture, where the new warship will be based.

Matsuzawa said he would urge the American and Japanese governments to reconsider the plan.

The nuclear-powered carrier would replace the USS Kitty Hawk, a diesel-powered carrier based in Yokosuka.

The Kitty Hawk, commissioned in 1961, is the Navy's oldest ship in full active service and the only American aircraft carrier permanently deployed abroad. The new carrier would arrive in Japan in 2008, when the Kitty Hawk is scheduled to return to the United States and be decommissioned.

The U.S. Navy said the switch would boost the American military posture in the region.

"Nimitz-class aircraft carriers are far more capable than fossil fuel carriers ... possess superior endurance and sustained speed and can respond more quickly to any crisis," said Rear Adm. James D. Kelly, commander of U.S. Navy Forces Japan.

The announcement came as the United States and Japan worked out a plan for a realignment of the 50,000 American troops based here — a presence that has spurred sporadic protests over the years by residents angered by the crime, crowding and noise associated with the bases.

Earlier this week the two sides struck a deal to close down a Marine Corps air station in Okinawa and transfer its functions to an existing base on the southern island, Camp Schwab. That plan, which calls for the building of a new heliport, was also running into opposition by residents who are against any fresh military construction.

The two sides are meeting for high-level talks in Washington on Saturday to announce an interim plan for realignment. Schieffer on Friday said that the final plan would call for the reduction of U.S. troops in Japan, but he did not elaborate.



Thailand steps up security in restive south
Britain to introduce smoking ban
Hurricane Wilma batters Florida
 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

ICBC launches joint-stock bank, readies for IPO

 

   
 

Hunan girl's death 'not linked to bird'

 

   
 

Crackdown on online nude shows nets 216

 

   
 

China eases tax burden on poor

 

   
 

Vatican urged to translate words into action

 

   
 

'Red Capitalist' passes away at 89

 

   
  Japan welcomes deal on US nuke carrier
   
  Bush makes post-Wilma visit in Florida
   
  North Korea ambassador makes rare visit to US Congress
   
  Iran insists on position Israel should be "wiped off the map"
   
  Tetanus kills 22 in Pakistan quake area
   
  Israeli missile kills 7 Palestinians
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  News Talk  
  Are the Republicans exploiting the memory of 9/11?  
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 国产成人无码综合亚洲日韩| 婷婷人人爽人人爽人人片| 亚洲国产欧美在线看片一国产| 精品国产乱码久久久久久浪潮| 国产免费的野战视频| 五月天精品在线| 国产色无码精品视频国产| tube欧美69xxxx| 成人免费在线观看网站| 久久久无码人妻精品无码| 欧美一级做一级爱a做片性| 亚洲毛片无码专区亚洲乱| 男女混合的群应该取什么名字 | 色综合天天综合高清网国产| 国产日韩欧美久久久| 1卡二卡三卡四卡精品| 在私人影院里嗯啊h| 制服丝袜日韩欧美| 521色香蕉网站在线观看| 大象传媒在线观看| xxxx性bbbb欧美野外| 性欧美video在线播放| 中文字幕第30页| 日本三级吃奶乳视频在线播放| 久久精品国产亚洲精品2020| 最近中文字幕mv在线视频www | 男人j捅进女人p| 免费福利在线观看| 精品久久亚洲中文无码| 又粗又猛又黄又爽无遮挡| 色偷偷人人澡人人爽人人模| 国产乱子伦农村叉叉叉| 青青青国产精品一区二区| 国产在线ts人妖免费视频| 黄网站色视频免费观看| 国产成人精品午夜福利在线播放| 亚洲成熟人网站| 国产熟睡乱子伦视频| 日本色图在线观看| 国产欧美va欧美va香蕉在线| 欧美日韩一区二区不卡三区|