President Joe Biden has said that „xenophobia” from China, India and Japan is hindering their growth, arguing that immigration is good for the US economy.
„One of the reasons our economy is growing is because of you and others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants,” Biden said at a Washington fundraiser for his 2024 re-election campaign and marked the start of the Asian American, native Hawaiian. and Pacific Islands Heritage Month.
„Why China is lagging so badly economically, why Japan is in trouble, why Russia, why India, because they are racist. They don't like immigrants. Immigrants make us stronger,” he was quoted as saying. A Reuters report.
His criticism may cause confusion in New Delhi.
The International Monetary Fund predicted last month that every country would see its growth slow in 2024 from the previous year, from 0.9% in the more developed Japan to 6.8% in emerging India.
They forecast the US to grow by 2.7%, slightly faster than last year's rate of 2.5%. Many economists attribute the better-than-expected performance in part to immigrants expanding the nation's labor force.
Concerns about irregular migration have become a key issue for many American voters ahead of November's presidential election.
Denouncing his Republican opponent, Donald Trump, for saying he is anti-immigration, Biden has courted broader economic and political ties with countries including Japan and India to confront China and Russia globally.