基地負担軽減に希望の声　バイデン氏に沖縄県民―米大統領選

　国内の米軍専用施設の約７割が集中する沖縄県。米大統領選で民主党のバイデン前副大統領が勝利を確実にしたことを受け、米軍基地の負担軽減を希望する声が聞かれた。
　米軍普天間飛行場の近くに住む宜野湾市の会社員呉屋達巳さん（４５）はトランプ政権を「中国などに対して強硬だったので、何か起きないかと不安だった」と振り返った上で、新政権に「基地での訓練も激しくなっており、これまでの強硬路線が落ち着いて穏やかになるといい」と期待を寄せた。
　普天間飛行場の移設予定地の名護市辺野古に住む無職金城武政さん（６３）は「基地の移設方針に変化はないだろうが、バイデンさんには沖縄の『お』の字くらいは考えて、県民の気持ちを聞き取る気持ちを持ってほしい」と注文した。
　一方、「危険な普天間飛行場は早くどこかに移した方がいい」と主張する那覇市の木村守正さん（８１）は「オバマ政権の時も、基地問題はそんなに動かなかった。今回もあまり変わらないのではないか」と話した。（2020/11/08-15:57）

People in Okinawa Prefecture, home to the bulk of U.S. bases in Japan, have expressed hopes that the victory of Democrat Joe Biden in the U.S. presidential election will lead to a reduction of the base-hosting burdens on the southernmost prefecture.
   Tatsuya Gomi, a 45-year-old corporate worker who lives near the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma air base in a congested area of Ginowan, Okinawa, said he had been worried that "something may happen" under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump because of his hardline approaches toward China and other countries.
   Noting that drills at the Futenma base have been intensifying, Gomi said he hopes that the United States will "relax its tough stance and make things calm" under the new administration of Biden, who declared Saturday his victory in the presidential election.
   The Japanese government, based on an agreement with Washington, plans to move the Futenma base to a replacement facility to be built in the Henoko coastal area of Nago, also in Okinawa. About 70 pct of all U.S. military bases and facilities in Japan are located in Okinawa and the prefectural government has been demanding the Futenma base be moved out of Okinawa.
   Takemasa Kinjo, 63, who lives in Henoko, said, "I know that there'll be no change in the base relocation plan, but I hope that Mr. Biden will think about Okinawa, even if only slightly, and try to listen to feelings of Okinawans."