Clinton kicks off Asia-Pacific tour

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has started her Asia-Pacific tour amid rising tensions in the US-Japan ties over an Okinawa military base.

The first leg of Clinton’s ten-day tour of the region on Monday took her to Hawaii where she will take up the issue of security alliance between Washington and Tokyo with her Japanese counterpart Katsuya Okada.

According to her aides, Clinton and Katsuya will try to find a solution for the relocation of the US Futenma airbase at Okinawa which has recently caused public outrage on the island.

The two sides will also examine how to maintain their security deal which was initiated in January 19, 1960.

“The governments are preparing for the statement, with which Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and President (Barack) Obama will celebrate the 50th anniversary and commit to further deepen the alliance,” Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa said, AFP reported citing Jiji Press.

The top US diplomat will next go to Papua New Guinea, where according to the State Department, she will receive government officials as well as civil society leaders to discuss environmental protection and women’s empowerment.

Clinton will then wind up her tour in New Zealand and Australia, where the talks will mainly revolve around the security in the Pacific and beyond.

The secretary of state is scheduled to return the US on January 19.