Tokyo, New Delhi bemoan Biden’s ‘xenophobia’ remark
TOKYO—United States allies Japan and India rejected on Saturday President Joe Biden’s comments about the economies of the two Asian countries as struggling because they were “xenophobic” like China and Russia
Biden lumped allies Japan and India with rivals China and Russia at a recent campaign event, arguing the four economic powers were struggling because of their unwillingness to accept immigrants.
“Why is China stalling so badly economically? Why is Japan in trouble? Why is Russia in trouble? And India? Because they’re xenophobic. They don’t want immigrants,” the president said on Wednesday.
“One of the reasons why our economy is growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants,” the president added.
Tokyo responded on Saturday saying Biden’s comment was “unfortunate” and “not based on an accurate understanding of Japan’s policy.”
‘In our DNA’
A government statement said that Tokyo delivered this message to the White House and explained once again about its policies and stances.
Biden’s remarks came less than a month after he hosted a lavish state dinner for his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in a rare gesture of high-level diplomacy.
The 81-year-old Democrat’s unexpected digs at Japan soon prompted the White House to tone them down.
The president was merely trying to send a broader message that “the United States is a nation of immigrants,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.
“It’s in our DNA,” he said.
‘Not faltering’
For his part, Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar rebutted Biden’s comment on Friday saying that India’s economy “is not faltering” and that it has historically been a society that is very open.
“That’s why we have the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), which is to open up doors for people who are in trouble… I think we should be open to people who have the need to come to India, who have a claim to come to India,” Jaishankar said, referring to a recent law that allows immigrants who have fled persecution from neighboring countries to become citizens.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast last month that growth in Asia’s three largest economies would slow in 2024 from the previous year.
The IMF also forecast that the US economy would grow 2.7 percent, slightly brisker than its 2.5 percent rate last year.
Many economists attribute the upbeat forecasts partly to migrants expanding the country’s labor force. —reports from AFP, REUTERS
