President Joe Biden on Wednesday called close US ally Japan
¡°xenophobic¡± at a Washington, D.C., fundraiser, just weeks after lauding
the US-Japan alliance at a state dinner.
The president made the remark while arguing that Japan,
along with Russia and China, would perform better economically if the
countries embraced immigration more.
¡°You know, one of the reasons why our economy is growing is
because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants,¡±
Biden said, according to reporters traveling with the president at a
fundraiser with Asian American and Pacific Islander supporters. ¡°The
reason – look, think about it. Why is China stalling so bad
economically? Why is Japan having trouble? Why is Russia?¡±
¡°Because they¡¯re xenophobic,¡± he said. ¡°They don¡¯t want immigrants. Immigrants are what makes us strong.¡±
Biden had similarly cast Japan, Russia and China as
¡°xenophobic¡± during an interview with a Spanish language radio station
in March.
¡°The Japanese, the Chinese, they¡¯re xenophobic, they don¡¯t
want any – the Russians, they don¡¯t want to have people, other than
Russians, Chinese, or Japanese,¡± the president said at the time.
The latest critique of Japan comes less than a month after he hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a state visit.
At the state dinner held at the White House in April, Biden
said Japan and the US share ¡°the same values, the same commitment to
democracy and freedom to dignity.¡±
¡°And today without question, our alliance is literally
stronger than it has ever been,¡± Biden said during the dinner.
Japan has long experienced a demographic crisis
with far-reaching consequences for the country¡¯s workforce and economy.
Japan and other East Asian nations have largely shied away from using
immigration to bolster their populations.
The president¡¯s comments also come as he¡¯s facing political
pressure at home over his own immigration policies amid strained
resources to deal with an influx of migrants and sharp Republicans
criticism.