00:00In other information, the murder of a Japanese woman, allegedly by a US serviceman, has reignited debate over the presence
00:07of foreign troops in Okinawa and the conditions governing their presence in Japan.
00:13Our correspondent in China, Bruno Falchi, has more information.
00:19Greetings, comrades. I came to report this time that the Okinawa government, Jenta Koja, announced on Monday, today, that he
00:28will seek a fundamental review of the agreement governing the presence of United States military forces in Japan, known as
00:38SOFA, which has been in force since 1960.
00:42The announcement came following the murder of Anna Yaga, a 39-year-old Japanese woman whose body was found on
00:52October at a hotel in Okinawa.
00:55A 20-year-old United States Marine Station in Futenma Base, in Okinawa, has been formally charged in connection with
01:06this crime.
01:06The case sparked widespread outrage across Japan.
01:12During a press conference in Tokyo, Koja called for suspects held in United States custody to be handed over to
01:22Japanese authorities when requested.
01:24Even before formal charges are filled.
01:29Sofa regulates matters of jurisdiction and custody.
01:34It does not grant immunity to United States military personnel, but establish rules that can delay the handover of suspects
01:45to Japanese authorities.
01:47Koja also called for Japanese laws to apply to United States military activities and urges authorities to speed up the
01:58return of land occupied by military bases.
02:02He also called for a timetable for the reallocation of Futenma Air Base and the subsequent return of the land
02:12and currently occupied Japan territory.
02:16The case has revived memories of 1995 incident, when three United States servicemen kidnapped and raped a 12-year-old
02:29Okinawan girl, a crime that triggered massive protests across the island.
02:35Okinawa accounts for less than 1% of Japanese territory, but host around 70% of the land areas occupied
02:47by United States military facilities reserved in the country.
02:53Due to its proximity to Taiwan and China, the island also holds major strategic importance for Washington's military deployment in
03:04the Asia-Pacific.
03:06With this information, from here, the capital of China, we go back with you in the studios.
