EKO HOT BLOG reports that President Joe Biden stated on Wednesday that Japan, a U.S. ally, is facing economic challenges due to xenophobia, echoing similar issues in China and Russia.
At a campaign fundraiser in Washington, marking the start of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Biden attributed part of the U.S. economic growth to its welcoming stance towards immigrants.
He questioned why countries like China, Japan, and Russia are struggling economically, attributing it to their xenophobic attitudes.
Biden has been strengthening ties with Japan to counter China in the Asia-Pacific region, recently hosting Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a summit and state dinner in Washington.
President Biden Highlights Japan’s Economic Struggles Amidst Xenophobia Concerns
Japan, currently on holiday, has yet to respond to Biden’s remarks.
Like many Asian countries, Japan faces demographic challenges, including an aging population and declining birth rates.
While attempting to attract more foreign workers, Japan is hindered by restrictive immigration laws.
In March, Japan approved legislation to increase the cap on foreign skilled workers and introduce a new training system for unskilled foreign workers.
However, Japan’s approach to immigration has been criticized for lacking integration, according to the Migrant Integration Policy Index.
The country’s weak yen and competition with other countries like South Korea and Taiwan make it less attractive to foreign workers.
Japan will need millions of foreign workers by 2040 to sustain economic growth, according to the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
Labor shortages are already evident in sectors such as agriculture, construction, and manufacturing, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Japan’s economy, once the second-largest globally, grew by 0.4% in the last quarter of 2023, narrowly avoiding a technical recession.
However, it has since fallen to the world’s fourth-largest economy, behind Germany.
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