Japan says 'yes' to US nuclear warship in its territorial waters

Japan says 'yes' to US nuclear warship in its territorial waters

TOKYO - Japan has agreed to allow a US nuclear aircraft carrier to set up base in the country for the first time, the Navy announced on Thursday.

"The security environment in the Western Pacific region increasingly requires that the U.S. Navy station the most capable ships forward," the Navy said in a statement. This announcement assumes significance because Japan has always opposed US nuclear presence in the region.

The US Navy has decided to station a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered carrier in Japanese waters, according to U.S. Ambassador Thomas Schieffer. He said the decision was based on the fact that the carrier had better capabilities than a traditional warship.

Sponsors

"We want to assure all concerned that this carrier can and will be operated safely in Japanese waters," Schieffer assured reporters at a press conference held on Friday.

The deployment of the nuclear ship in the Western Pacific region would fulfill the US government's commitment "to the defense of Japan, and the maintenance of international peace and security in the Far East." This new ship will replace the USS Kitty Hawk, which has been trawling Japanese waters and is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2008.

The move to permit a nuclear ship has been severely criticized by Shigefumi Matsuzawa, the governor of Kanagawa prefecture. It is here that the nuclear carrier will be stationed. "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," Matsuzawa said adding that he would petition the US and the Japanese government to reconsider the plan.

The issue of nuclear presence in the region will be discussed in detail when Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and US President George Bush meet in November.