IANS | 04 May, 2024
A UN spokesperson has declined to react to an assertion by US
President Joe Biden that India was "stalling so badly economically"
because it was "xenophobic" and not taking in immigrants.
"I
wouldn't comment on what he said," Farhan Haq, the Deputy Spokesperson
for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said on Friday when he was
asked by a Chinese TV reporter about Biden's comment that also covered
China, Russia, and Japan.
Asked by the reporter about the UN's definition of "xenophobia", Haq said that it "is simply the dictionary definition".
Biden
had said on Wednesday, "You know, one of the reasons why our economy is
growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome
immigrants. We look to -- the reason -- look, think about it. Why is
China stalling so badly economically? Why is Japan having trouble? Why
is Russia? Why is India? Because they're xenophobic. They don't want
immigrants."
However, reports by several international
organisations and multinationals tell a different story from that of
Biden, who has a record of making fact-challenged statements.
According
to the International Monetary Fund, the US economy grew by 2.5 per cent
last year and is expected to grow this year by 2.7 per cent, while
India, according to Biden, has a "stalling" economy grew three times
faster than the US at 7.8 per cent last year and is projected for a
two-and-a-half time faster growth at 6.8 per cent this year.
China's economy grew by 5.2 per cent last year with a projection of 4.8 per cent this year.
White
House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre tried to play down Biden's
assertion, saying that "he was making a more broad comment, speaking
about this country and speaking about how important it is to be a
country of immigrants".
"Obviously, we have a strong relationship
with -- with -- with India, with -- with Japan. And the President, if
you just look at the last three years, has certainly -- certainly has
focused on that diplomatic -- those diplomatic relationships," she
added.
Haq, in his response to Biden's comment, added, "But
certainly, we believe that all of our member states should continue to
uphold all of the basic standards in the UN Human Rights covenants,
including those that involve treating all races, all nationalities with
respect. And we believe that all of the member states of the UN work
towards that end."
