US officials said Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will meet with their Japanese counterparts on Wednesday and plan to issue a joint statement that would modify, not increase, the presence of US forces on the island of Okinawa.
The new agreements, which will be concluded during the so-called “two plus two meeting,” come before Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to Washington, where he will meet President Joe Biden at the White House next Friday.
US officials said the 12th Marine Regiment, currently stationed in Okinawa, would be transformed into a smaller, faster unit.
The new regiment was designed to be more capable and ready to fight opponents and defend the United States and its allies in the region.
The officials added that the decision would not increase the number of Marines on the island, according to the Associated Press.
It is noteworthy that the island of Okinawa hosts more than half of the US forces stationed in Japan, and its residents want to reduce this number.
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