Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar dismissed US President Joe Biden’s claim that “xenophobia” was impeding India’s economic growth, as reported by The Economic Times. Jaishankar asserted during a round table discussion hosted by the newspaper that India’s economy is not failing and emphasized the country’s long-standing openness as a society. He highlighted the Citizenship Amendment Act as an example of India opening its doors to those in need, allowing immigrants fleeing persecution in neighboring countries to become citizens.
Biden’s comments about xenophobia in China, Japan, and India hindering economic progress were met with criticism from both India and Japan. Jaishankar’s statement echoed the sentiment that migration has been beneficial to the US economy. Japan called Biden’s characterization of its policies as “unfortunate” and clarified its stance to the White House.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently projected a slowdown in growth for Asia’s largest economies in 2024 compared to the previous year. In contrast, the US economy is expected to grow at a brisker pace, attributed in part to migrants contributing to the labor force expansion. The positive outlook for the US economy contrasts with the IMF’s projections for Asia, emphasizing the role of migration in driving economic growth.