Joe Biden criticized China, Japan, Russia, and India, labeling them as ‘xenophobic’ for hindering their economic growth due to a lack of openness to immigrants. Biden’s remarks came during a fundraising event in Washington, highlighting the importance of migration for economic strength.
He attributed the US’s comparatively better economic performance to its welcoming stance towards immigrants.
Highlighting the migration in these countries, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts varied growth rates for these countries in 2024. The IMF has predicted that each country mentioned the growth will decelerate.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF)predicts varied growth rates for these countries in 2024, with concerns about irregular migration emerging as a significant issue for US voters ahead of the presidential election.
“One of the reasons why our economy’s growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants,” Biden said at a Washington fundraising event for his 2024 re-election campaign marking the start of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
The International Monetary Fund forecast last month that each country would see its growth decelerate in 2024 from the year prior, ranging from 0.9 per cent in highly developed Japan to 6.8 per cent in emerging India.
They forecast that the US would grow at 2.7 per cent, slightly brisker than its 2.5 per cent rate last year. Many economists attribute better-than-expected performance partly to migrants expanding the country’s labor force.
Not to mention that the concern about irregular migration has become a top issue for many US voters ahead of November’s presidential election. “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. Immigrants are what makes us strong.”
Biden, who has condemned the rhetoric of his Republican opponent Donald Trump as anti-immigrant, has worked to court broad economic and political relations with countries including Japan and India to counter China and Russia globally.
As far as India is concerned, following the visit of Modi in Washington in June 2023, Biden was specifically interested to draw India closer so that it can act as a counterbalance to China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific. India-US ties had not lived up to their promise following a landmark civilian nuclear deal in 2005 because a liability law passed by India three years later hobbled the purchase of reactors.
However, research shows that Biden is facing criticism from voters over unemployment and immigration. A poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that over half of US adults think that “Biden’s presidency has hurt the country on cost of living and immigration”.
