Japan described as “regrettable” United States President Joe Biden's comment that “xenophobia” is stifling the Asian country's economic growth, the government's main spokesman said on Tuesday (7).
Last week, Biden claimed that “xenophobia” in the economies of China, Japan and India was hurting their growth, while arguing at a fundraiser in Washington that immigration has been good for the US economy.
“We made representations to the United States that the comment was not based on a correct understanding of Japan's policy and that it was regrettable,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a news conference, without elaborating.
Hayashi was quick to add, however, that Japan's ties with its security ally, the United States, were stronger than ever, and Tokyo will strive to make them even stronger.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Washington in April for a summit with Biden and revealed plans for military cooperation and projects, from missiles to moon landings, to strengthen ties with the aim of countering China and Russia .
At last week's event to raise funds for his 2024 re-election campaign, Biden said: “One of the reasons our economy is growing is because of you and so many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants.”
“Why is China performing so poorly economically, why is Japan having problems, why is Russia, why is India, because they are xenophobic. They don't want immigrants. Immigrants are what make us strong.”
Japan, which prides itself on its homogeneity, has long been reticent about immigration, although its falling birth rate and rapidly aging population point to an acute labor shortage in the coming decades.
Asked in an interview with Newsweek whether he wanted to boost immigration to reverse population decline, Kishida said Japan needs to consider inviting skilled workers, but ruled out a full immigration program.
“We would like to enable highly qualified and motivated workers to come to Japan to support Japanese society,” Kishida said in the interview, published last week.
“There are still some in Japanese society who are resistant to the idea of continuous and indefinite labor immigration from abroad.”
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
