Japan will pay $ 1.9 billion over the next year for the 55,000 US troops stationed there, after Trump wanted to quadruple the payment.
Japan and the United States agreed to extend an agreement on how much Toyko will pay for the maintenance of US military bases on its territory for another year, while continuing talks on a new pact.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi announced this on Wednesday.
The current five-year settlement was set to expire after March 2021, but now runs through March 2022, with Japan paying about $ 1.9 billion over that period. Both governments are expected to sign the agreement soon, Kyodo news agency reports.
The deal comes after former President Donald Trump reportedly increased pressure on Tokyo to quadruple its payments for US troops to $ 8 billion.
The campaign was part of Trump’s broader effort to pressure allies to increase their defense spending, with the former president saying the Tokyo deal was unilateral.
There are currently approximately 55,000 US troops stationed in Japan. That includes the United States Navy’s Seventh Fleet and the permanently forward-deployed aircraft carrier attack group, as well as the Third Marine Expeditionary Force.
Under so-called “host country support,” countries that house US military installations bear some of the costs for training, labor, and logistics.
In addition to defending Japan’s main ally, US military units use the archipelago as a base for operations in the wider Asia-Pacific region, where US military power has sought to counterbalance China’s growing influence.
The Biden administration has attempted to reverse the Trump administration’s antagonistic approach to American allies and their defense commitments.
Notably, in early February, the government froze the withdrawal of Trump’s forces in Germany, the headquarters of US European Command and US Africa Command.
The plan was to relocate headquarters and withdraw about 11,900 troops, but surprised European allies and US military officials.