The alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl by a US Marine has cast a pall over US-Japan relations, with Japan's foreign minister yesterday saying it was bound to affect delicate negotiations over the relocation of US military bases.

The incident, which has stirred up memories of the 1995 gang rape of a 12-year-old girl by US servicemen, has reverberated around the strategically vital island of Okinawa, where the bulk of American forces are located. Washington regards Okinawa, home to its biggest airbase outside the US, as its most important military asset in east Asia.