America demanded tripling Japan's budget to host American troops.
Nikkei Asia News Agency:.
The American government has asked Japan to pay more than 3 trillion yen (about 18.8 to 19 billion dollars) over the next five years in negotiations regarding the new budget to support the American forces stationed in this country; A figure that is almost three times the current level of spending.
Negotiations for a new five-year agreement are underway, and both sides aim to reach an agreement by the end of this year. The current period of host country support, covering fiscal years 2022 to 2026, totaled about ¥1.06 trillion (an annual average of about ¥211 billion).
Japan, on the other hand, expects a significant but smaller increase, looking at a figure of about 1.5 trillion yen in five years (an annual average of about 300 billion yen, about 1.4 times the current level).
A diplomatic source said it would be difficult to pay 3 trillion yen in five years, but about 1.5 trillion yen could be paid.