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　⇒FT.com / Comment / Editorial - Hatoyama’s retreat

He failed to understand the nature of the US presence in Japan. Unlike the American bases in Germany, for instance, this is not a relic of the cold war. It is a counterweight to China in the Western Pacific and preserves a broader balance of forces in the region. Futenma may not be the keystone in this strategic architecture. But it should not be cast away for electoral plaudits.

Mr Hatoyama now accepts this and has dropped his own scheme. Penitently, he has told the Okinawans that they might have to revert to the first plan, moving the base to a rural site on the island, as the best available option. Unfortunately, by stirring patriotic and regional feelings about the issue, he has made this harder to push through. But as he promised to resolve the Okinawan base by the end of this month or quit, he must grit his teeth and press on.