Joe Biden’s obsession with immigration may be on the verge of causing an international incident with one of America’s allies in Asia.
During remarks at a fundraising event, Biden needlessly attacks Japan and India as being “xenophobic,” saying that the countries are struggling because they don’t have open border policies like the one he’s pursuing.
The Associated Press reported the news, which will likely cause outrage in India and Japan.
President Joe Biden has called Japan and India “xenophobic” countries that do not welcome immigrants, lumping the two with adversaries China and Russia as he tried to explain their economic circumstances and contrasted the four with the U.S. on immigration.
Japan is a critical U.S. ally. And India, one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, is a vital partner in the Indio-Pacific despite differences on human rights.
At a hotel fundraiser where the donor audience was largely Asian-American, Biden said the upcoming U.S. election was about “freedom, America and democracy” and that the nation’s economy was thriving “because of you and many others.”
“Why? Because we welcome immigrants,” Biden said. “Look, 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 attack on Japan came merely three weeks after a visit of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to the White House, where the two leaders commemorated what Biden termed an “indestructible alliance,” especially concerning global security affairs.
The Spectator reported that the president’s words about one of our strongest allies is not being taken well. “The insult is being especially keenly felt over here in Tokyo; it comes less than a month after a lavish and carefully choreographed love in between Biden and Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida. There was a marching band, a formal state dinner, and an atmosphere of mutual admiration all designed to present the two leaders as not just staunch allies but bosom buddies.
Nobody over here much bought into that representation – the mini-summit was seen as being mainly for domestic consumption from two under-pressure leaders – but the swiftness of the change of tone is still surprising in its sheer, brazen rudeness. And gall (Biden has condemned his rival Donald Trump for anti-immigrant rhetoric on numerous occasions). It’s as if a colleague whom you always imagined you had reasonable relations with suddenly tells you they hate your guts.
Whatever the explanation, two things are certain. Firstly, this won’t be forgotten any time soon – the Japanese have only just about forgiven the Democrats for Bill Clinton skipping the country on an Asian tour in 1998 (the ‘Japanese passing’ incident). And Donald Trump just made a load of new friends in Japan.”
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