Officials from India and Japan responded to President Joe Biden’s latest attack on their countries following the president’s immigration remarks.
In what many have put down as one of Biden’s regular gaffes, the president called Japan and India “Xenophobic” countries.
“One of the reasons why our economy is growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants. We look to —the reason— look, think about it,” Biden said at a campaign fundraiser last week. “Why is China stalling so badly economically? Why is Japan having trouble? Why is Russia? Why is India? Because they’re xenophobic. They don’t want immigrants.” he added.
Joe Biden says Russia, China and Japan are xenophobic because they don’t want to take migrants in their country.
They’re not xenophobic, they’re smart.
Look at all the problems that have been created by migrants in the United States of America and in Europe.
In Europe, you…
— Joey Mannarino (@JoeyMannarinoUS) May 2, 2024
Biden’s remarks forced the White House into an uncomfortable situation of having to clean up after him.
It's even worse than I thought! 😮
Joe Biden attacks Shinzo Abe & blaming his economic policies as to why we in Japan are Xenophobic against Immigrants.
So disrespectful! 😡 pic.twitter.com/MPyByt1wz6
— 🇯🇵 Colonel Otaku Gatekeeper 🇯🇵 (@politicalawake) May 2, 2024
According to Fox News, Japanese officials at the embassy in Washington, D.C., said they spoke with the Biden administration and were assured that the president did not mean any harm with his remarks.
“We are aware that the U.S. government has clarified that President Biden’s comment was made in the context of explaining that the U.S. is a nation of immigrants and that immigrants make the U.S. stronger, and that his comment was not made with the intent of undermining the importance and permanence of the Japan-U.S. relationship,” the embassy said.
The Japanese officials, however, insisted that the president’s remarks were “unfortunate.”
“It is unfortunate that some of the comments were not based on an accurate understanding of Japan’s policies, and we have raised this point to the U.S. government and explained Japan’s positions and policies once again,” Japanese officials added.
Mizuho Umemura, a member of the conservative Nippon Ishin no Kai Party in Japan, blasted Biden over the comment, pointing out that European nations are also struggling with Migration problems.
“Migration is a problem that European leaders are struggling with, too. There aren’t any countries that have solved this problem as of now,” Umemura said. “I hope that President Biden will solve the problem in New York before he says things like this.”
"Migration is a problem that European leaders are struggling with, too. There aren't any countries that have solved this problem as of now," said Mizuho Umemura…
Fox Newsにて私のポストが掲載されました。移民政策は今、全世界で考えるべき重要なトピックであり、活発な議論が必要です。 https://t.co/6bfA4GNqn9
— 梅村みずほ 【STOP！児童虐待】日本維新の会 参議院議員 大阪府選挙区 (@mizuho_ishin) May 3, 2024
Umemura’s colleague at Japan’s House of Councilors and leader of the right-wing populist Sansei Party, Sohei Kamiya, said Japan is being careful not to make America’s mistake.
“It’s not that we’re xenophobic, we are being cautious after seeing your failures. You are meddling too much in our internal affairs,” Kamiya said.
Japanese leader and right-wing populist, Sansei Party Sohei Kamiya, tells President dick head like it is: “It's not that we're xenophobic, we are being cautious after seeing your failures.”https://t.co/ubFDI0jG5m
— Stan (@stanpcfl) May 4, 2024
India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, also responded to Biden’s comments, noting that his country is one of the most diverse nations on earth.
“I haven’t seen such an open, pluralistic, and diverse society anywhere in the world. We are actually not just not xenophobic, we are the most open, most pluralistic and in many ways the most understanding society in the world,” Jaishankar said.
