Biden calls US allies India and Japan 'xenophobic'
By Bernd Debusmann Jr
US President Joe Biden has called Japan and India “xenophobic”, grouping them together with Russia and China as countries that “don’t want immigrants”.
His criticism of Japan comes just weeks after he called the US-Japan alliance “unbreakable” during a state visit from Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
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 offence 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 BBC has contacted the US embassies of Japan, India, China and Russia for comment, but did not receive an immediate reply.
The comments, however, have drawn criticism from observers in the US.
