A row over a controversial US military base on Okinawa, Japan, worsened Tuesday as Tokyo showed resistance after the local governor ordered construction to stop.
Tokyo's resistance came after anti-base governor Takeshi Onaga said on Monday that coral located just outside the target zone at the site on the island's northeast coast had been damaged and the work needed to stop.
The spokesperson for the central government said that they see no reason to stop the work at this point. The government will continue the drilling survey as planned, taking into account environmental concerns.
