Joe Biden calls US allies India and Japan 'xenophobic'

US President Joe Biden has called Japan and India "xenophobic", grouping them together with Russia and China as countries that "don't want immigrants".India is also a key US partner, despite US concerns about human rights and religious freedoms there.The White House says that Mr. Biden meant no offense to either country.

Speaking to a predominantly Asian-American audience at a campaign fundraising event on Wednesday evening, Mr Biden said that the US election this November was about "freedom, America and democracy". "Why? Because we welcome immigrants," he added. "Think about it. 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."The comments, however, have drawn criticism from US commentators.

Although Japan, India and China have relatively few foreign-born workers, Russia is heavily reliant on migrant labor, much of it drawn from Central Asia. India, meanwhile, has experienced steady growth and surpassed the UK in 2023 to become the world's fifth-largest economy. The White House denied that Mr. Biden's comments were meant in a derogatory sense, with national security spokesman John Kirby saying he was making a broader point on US immigration policy.

In late April, a US Department of State report found "significant" human rights abuses in India, which its government said "is deeply biased and reflects a very poor understanding of India."In the longer term, however, Mr Dhume said that the remarks are a "tempest in a teacup" and "unlikely to significantly affect US-Indian relations."