3 May 2024: President Joe Biden of the United States has stirred controversy by labeling India and Japan as “xenophobic” countries, drawing comparisons with nations like China and Russia. “Xenophobic” refers to countries that either do not welcome immigrants to their soil or foster an atmosphere of fear towards them.
Despite India’s concerns for human rights and religious freedom, Biden pointedly criticized India, highlighting its role as a key partner for the United States. Meanwhile, Biden’s criticism of Japan comes at a time when just weeks ago, during the political visit of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, he hailed the US-Japan relationship as “unbreakable.”
During a fundraiser program on Wednesday evening, Biden, while speaking with Asian-American communities, framed the upcoming November American elections as a choice for “freedom, America, and democracy.” He questioned, “Why is China economically so embroiled? Why is Japan in trouble? Why is Russia in trouble? Why is India in trouble? Because they are xenophobic. They don’t want immigrants.”
BBC attempted to reach out to the embassies of Japan, India, Russia, and China for their reactions to Biden’s statement, but no response has been received thus far.
Some analysts are criticizing Biden’s remarks:
– What could be the impact of Biden’s statement?
– Elbridge Colby, former Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Trump administration, wrote that Japan and India are “our two strongest and most important partners. To suggest that our allies have narrow-minded, less enlightened views is foolish and counterproductive.” The White House denied that Biden’s statement was meant in a derogatory sense. National Security Spokesperson John Kirby said Biden was broadly addressing American immigration policy. Kirby stated, “Our allies and partners understand how much President Biden values them, their friendship, and their cooperation. Our allies understand how much he values the idea of alliances and partnerships.”
– Recent discussions between India and America
– An April report by The Washington Post claimed that during last year’s presidential elections, Indian intelligence agency RAW was involved in an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate pro-Khalistan leader and American citizen Gurpatwant Singh Pannu. India has deemed this report as “baseless.”
Analysts are skeptical that this statement will have a significant impact in the long term and believe that “it is unlikely to affect the relationship between India and America.”
India has had a strict policy towards immigrants for decades. The name of Japan has been included among the countries with the harshest immigrant policies for years. However, amidst a declining population, they recently allowed foreign workers into the country.
Biden, who repeatedly labeled his rival Donald Trump as xenophobic during the presidential elections, has faced criticism himself for his tough stance on immigrants and handling of the America-Mexico border issue.
