On Friday, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar challenged US President Joe Biden’s assertion that xenophobia was hampering India’s economic growth, as reported by The Economic Times. Jaishankar maintained that India’s economy was not faltering and that the country had a long history of being open. He cited the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as evidence of India’s openness to people seeking refuge and citizenship.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently predicted a slowdown in economic growth in Asia’s three largest economies, including India, Japan, and China, in 2024. Despite this, the US economy is expected to grow due to migrants expanding the country’s labor force. However, Biden’s comments on the role of immigration in economic growth have sparked debate and criticism worldwide.
In response to Biden’s accusation of xenophobia against India and other countries, Japan also expressed disappointment over his remarks. The Japanese government clarified that Biden’s comments were misguided and not based on an accurate understanding of its policy positions. Similarly, India rejected this characterization and stated that it did not accurately reflect its policies.