31.   The Defense Ministry issued a statement saying China has reinforced troop levels around Pingtan Island but that it believed Chinese military activities would not be restricted to the island.

32.   The raids came as reports from Israel said the Jewish state was beginning to reduce its troop level in southern Lebanon.

33.   The two sides are expected to agree to eventually reduce the U.S. presence on Okinawa but to keep overall troop levels in Japan steady.

34.   U.S. and Russian officials negotiating a reduction in Russian troop levels have gone home to grapple with unresolved issues, a U.S. source said Thursday.

35.   But US Ambassador to Japan Walter Mondale has stressed that troop levels and US military capabilities in Japan would remain unchanged.

36.   The panel is to offer its proposal to another panel set up by the Japanese and US governments last Monday on reducing US troop levels in the island.

37.   The panel is to offer its proposal to another panel set up by the Japanese and US governments last Monday on reducing US troop levels on the island.

38.   The US ambassador in Tokyo, Walter Mondale, said earlier the Okinawa reshuffle will in no way reduce troop levels or the US military capacity in Japan.