日本首相野田佳彦星期一在白宫与美国总统奥巴马会晤，预计将讨论加强双边联盟。美日联盟最近几年有所削弱。预计这两位领导人将讨论一系列问题，其中包括上周宣布的迁走驻扎在日本冲绳岛的大约9000名美国海军陆战队员的协议。该协议旨在缓解美日两国就美军长期驻扎冲绳而引起的紧张关系。根据这一协议，这批军人将被部署到太平洋地区其它地点，其中包括夏威夷、美国海外属地关岛和澳大利亚。调动时间表还没有确定。
预计安全问题也将是此次会谈的重点，特别是双方对朝鲜将要试验另一枚核弹或导弹的担忧。日本和韩国都威胁将击落飞跃其领空的试验导弹。平壤说，这一举动将等同于宣战。在经济方面，美日领导人预计将讨论日本参与泛太平洋伙伴关系的可能性。泛太平洋伙伴关系是美国领导的、由亚太地区9个成员国参与的新兴贸易协议。野田佳彦表示对该协议有兴趣，但他面临来自日本执政党以及日本农民强烈的反对呼声。日本农民担忧，参加这一协议将使他们失去政府的大量补贴。野田佳彦是日本6年来第6任首相。自从日本民主党在2009年的大选中获胜上台后，野田佳彦是首位访问华盛顿的日本首相。日本民主党提倡在外交政策上更加独立于美国。
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda meets with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House Monday for talks that are expected to reaffirm a strong bilateral alliance that has weakened in recent years. The two leaders are expected to discuss a range of issues, including last week's relocation announcement of about 9,000 U.S. Marines from the Japanese island chain of Okinawa. The deal is aimed at alleviating tensions between the two allies over the longtime U.S. military presence on Okinawa. Under the agreement, the troops will be relocated to other locations in the Pacific region, including Hawaii, the U.S. territory of Guam, and Australia. A timetable for the relocation has not been set.
Security issues are also expected to highlight the talks, particularly concerns that North Korea will test another nuclear bomb or missile. Japan and South Korea have both threatened to try to shoot down any test missile that strays over their territory, an action Pyongyang has said would amount to a declaration of war. On the economic front, the two sides are expected to discuss Japan's possible participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an emerging U.S.-led trade deal involving nine nations across the Asia Pacific. While Mr. Noda has voiced interest in the pact, he faces heavy opposition at home from his party and farmers concerned about the loss of large government subsidies. Mr. Noda is Japan's sixth prime minister in six years. He is the country's first leader to visit Washington since a 2009 election ushered in his Democratic Party of Japan, which favored a foreign policy that was more independent of the United States.
