Democracy Dies in Darkness

Biden calls ally Japan ‘xenophobic’ like China, Russia, at campaign event

President Biden’s remarks have not elicited a formal response from the countries he named. But experts said they were likely to have offended, particularly in Japan.

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Updated May 2, 2024 at 2:49 p.m. EDT|Published May 2, 2024 at 1:59 p.m. EDT
President Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan walk to the Oval Office on April 10. (Craig Hudson for The Washington Post)
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President Biden called Japan a “xenophobic” country during a campaign event Wednesday evening, putting the U.S. ally in a group with authoritarian rivals such as China and Russia and suggesting that a lack of immigration may be why the nations were “stalling so badly economically.”

The remarks, widely reported Thursday in the Japanese press, came less than a month after Biden hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a high-profile state visit to cement their alliance. The president also suggested that India, another nation that partners with the United States on security measures, was fearful of foreigners in his remarks.