Japan and India are referred to US President Joe Biden as “xenophobic” countries that do not accept immigration.

In an attempt to explain their economic situation and draw comparisons between the four countries and the United States on immigration, President Joe Biden labelled China and Russia as “xenophobic” nations that do not welcome immigrants, calling Japan and India the same.

Three weeks had passed since the White House welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for an opulent state visit, during which the two leaders celebrated what Biden referred to as a “unbreakable alliance,” particularly on matters of international security. Biden made the comments on Wednesday night at a campaign fundraising event.

During a state visit last summer, Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi was received at the White House.

America’s most important ally is Japan. Despite disagreements over human rights, India, one of the economies with the highest rate of growth in the world, is an essential partner in the Indo-Pacific region.

At a hotel event, where the majority of the attendees were Asian Americans, Biden stated that the country’s economy was flourishing “because of you and many others” and that the forthcoming U.S. election was about “freedom, America, and democracy.”
“Why? because immigrants are welcome here,” Biden stated. “Look, consider it. Why is China’s economy stalling out so badly? Why is everything in Japan going wrong? Why does Russia exist? For what reason is India? due of their xenophobia. They oppose immigration.

“Immigrants are what makes us strong,” the president said. Not a jest. That’s not hyperbole—a growing number of workers want to work here and make a contribution.

Neither the Indian government nor the Japanese government responded right away. Biden was stating a more general argument on the U.S. stance on immigration, according to White House national security spokesperson John Kirby.

When questioned about Biden’s “xenophobic” remarks on Thursday morning, Kirby responded, “Our allies and partners know well in tangible ways how President Biden values them, their friendship, their cooperation and the capabilities that they bring across the spectrum on a range of issues, not just security related.” “They recognise the extent to which he absolutely cherishes the concept of alliances and partnerships.”

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., one of the two senators of Asian American origin, introduced Biden at the event, which coincided with the beginning of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. She is serving as his reelection campaign’s national co-chair.

According to statistics revealed in February, Japan has acknowledged problems with its declining population. In 2023, the country saw a decline in the number of newborns born for the ninth consecutive year. Kishida has referred to Japan’s low birth rate as “the biggest crisis Japan faces,” and while the nation has historically taken a more restrictive approach to immigration, in recent years his administration has changed its laws to make it simpler for foreign workers to enter the country.

India now boasts the highest population in the world, with an estimated 1.425 billion people living there, according to the UN. Also, the population is skewed younger. A new citizenship law that expedites the naturalisation process for Sikhs, Hindus, Parsis, Buddhists, Jains, and Christians who migrated to India from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan was passed by India earlier this year. However, it leaves out Muslims, who make up the majority in all three countries. India has never before established religious requirements for citizenship.