US President Joe Biden counts India among ‘xenophobic’ nations that do not welcome immigrants
The president was making a broader statement and respects the country’s partners, the White House clarified.
United States President Joe Biden on Wednesday said that India, Japan, China and Russia are “xenophobic” countries that do not welcome immigrants, which is why their economy is not growing like his country.
“You know, one of the reasons why our economy is growing is because of you and many others,” Biden said at a campaign event in Washington. “Why? Because we welcome immigrants. 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.”
A day after Biden’s comments, the White House on Thursday clarified that the president had made a broader statement and respects his allies.
“Our allies and partners know very well that how much this president respects them,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
She added: “Obviously, we have a strong relationship with India, with Japan. And the president, if you just look at the last three years, has certainly focused on those diplomatic relationships.”
China and Russia do not share strong bilateral ties with the United States. However, Washington considers India a crucial strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region despite differences on human rights values.
An annual country report published by the United States government on April 22 had flagged “significant human rights abuses” in India, including extrajudicial killings,...
Read more
