Feedback met with shock since US president has sought to deepen ties with key ally Japan, in addition to India.
President Joe Biden has labelled key United States ally Japan and associate India alongside China and Russia as international locations that have been failing to reap the financial rewards of migration as a result of they have been “xenophobic”.
Talking at a marketing campaign fundraising occasion in remarks that weren’t filmed or recorded, Biden mentioned hostility in direction of foreigners was hobbling their progress.
“One of many the reason why our financial system’s rising is due to you and lots of others. Why? As a result of we welcome immigrants,” Biden mentioned on the occasion to mark the beginning of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
“Why is China stalling so badly economically, why is Japan having hassle, why is Russia, why is India, as a result of they’re xenophobic. They don’t need immigrants. Immigrants are what makes us sturdy.”
Biden’s remarks on Japan and India got here as a shock since he has made a degree of strengthening ties with the 2 international locations since taking workplace in 2021.
biden at a fundraiser yesterday:
“why is china stalling so unhealthy economically? why is japan having hassle? why is russia? bc they’re xenophobic. they don’t need immigrants.”
can’t see certainly one of america’s closest allies, {the japanese}, being all too happy about that pic.twitter.com/vFk6Tmlaua
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) May 2, 2024
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was on the White Home for a state dinner solely three weeks in the past when the 2 international locations celebrated their “unbreakable” partnership, and Biden mentioned the US and Japan loved the “identical values, the identical dedication to democracy and freedom to dignity”.
He welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White Home for a state go to final yr.
Japan and India are additionally a part of the Quad safety grouping.
The White Home sought to downplay the president’s remarks on Thursday.
“The broader level the president was making, and I feel individuals all all over the world recognise this, is that the US is a nation of immigrants, and it’s in our DNA,” Nationwide Safety Council spokesman John Kirby informed reporters.
“Our allies know very nicely how a lot the president respects them, values their friendship, values their contributions,” he added.
Japan and India are two of our very stoutest and necessary allies. We should always converse of them with respect, which they command and deserve.
Making use of parochial progressive views to our allies is patronizing and silly. https://t.co/zOGe4gqUKm
— Elbridge Colby (@ElbridgeColby) May 2, 2024
Japan has the bottom degree of migration of any Group of Seven nation, though it has been slowly opening its doorways to outsiders to compensate for its quickly ageing inhabitants.
Not more than 2 % of Japan’s inhabitants are immigrants, in contrast with 14 % within the US.
India has overtaken China to develop into the world’s most populous nation. It handed a brand new citizenship regulation earlier this yr that fast-tracks naturalisation for non-Muslims from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. All three international locations are majority Muslim and the regulation marks the primary time India has set non secular standards for citizenship.
Neither Japan nor India have responded to the feedback.