Japan agrees not to cut US base funding

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TOKYO, Dec 8 (Reuters): Japan has abandoned an attempt to slash its funding of US bases on its soil because of concerns about ties after Tokyo ended support for Washington-led military activities in Afghanistan, a report said today.
Japan and the United States have agreed to fix "host nation support" at this financial year's level of 140.9 billion yen for the next three years, Kyodo news agency said in a report published in the Japan Times.
Japan had hoped to slash the amount it pays for labour and operational costs as part of an effort to control its national debt. But the United States has been pressing its allies to help with funding as its military expenditure mounts in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
Japan was forced to halt marine refuelling support for US operations in Afghanistan last month because an opposition majority in parliament's upper house refused to back it, saying it would only support UN missions.
Kyodo said there were concerns in Tokyo that cutting back on funding of US bases in the country would further strain ties.
Japan also took into account the fact that it wants to persuade the United States to keep North Korea on its list of terrorism-sponsoring nations until progress is made on resolving Pyongyang's abductions of Japanese citizens, Kyodo said.