People protesting the planned relocation of the U.S. military base, to Okinawa's Henoko coast, shout slogans at a rally in front of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's official residence, as a meeting between Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga and Abe is holding, in Tokyo April 17, 2015. REUTERS/Issei Kato
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan said on Tuesday it was suspending construction of a contentious U.S. air base on the island of Okinawa for a month to give time for talks between the central government and island authorities opposed to the facility.
Residents of Okinawa, the site of bloody battles between U.S. and Japanese forces near the end of World War Two, have long objected to tens of thousands of U.S. troops and U.S. military installations on 18 percent of their island.
Win a prize this Mother's Day by subscribing to our annual plan now! T&C applies.
