Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who took office last week, has vowed to forge a more equal partnership with Washington and has set goals such as revising deals on US forces.

Under an existing agreement, a US Marine base would move from a town in Okinawa to a less populated part of the southern island. Mr Hatoyama has said the base should be moved off Okinawa entirely, although he has not proposed an alternative site.

Speaking before high-level US-Japan talks this week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell made clear the US desire to see a continued US presence on Okinawa.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada on September 21 and the two discussed the Okinawa issue briefly without taking up specific bases or issues in detail, a Japanese official said.

The official quoted Okada as telling Clinton that "the issue is still under discussion within our government and we will proceed while closely coordinating with the United States."

President Barack Obama is set to see Mr Hatoyama on September 24 when both attend the UN General Assembly.