US mindful of Japanese pressure over base dispute
![Support for Yukio Hatoyama's government is languishing at around 20 percent while his disapproval rating has risen to two-thirds. [Reuters]](http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201002/r513881_2799133.jpg "Support for Yukio Hatoyama's government is languishing at around 20 percent while his disapproval rating has risen to two-thirds. [Reuters]")
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Support for Yukio Hatoyama's government is languishing at around 20 percent while his disapproval rating has risen to two-thirds. [Reuters]
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US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to play down a military base dispute when she visits Japan on Friday.
Washington remains mindful any public pressure on Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama about the US Futenma Marine airbase in Okinawa will only aggravate his domestic woes.
Support for Mr Hatoyama's government is languishing at around 20 percent while his disapproval rating has risen to two-thirds.
The Japanese, disillusioned with Mr Hatoyama's failure to meet his pre-election pledge to remove the base from Okinawa, say he should resign if he does not settle the dispute this month.
But Mr Hatoyama, whose pledge had also irritated Washington, has now changed tack, saying he has come to realize some Marines must stay on the island to deter threats.
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