Politics

Biden, Japan’s Yoshihide Condemn ‘Increase In Anti-Asian Discrimination’ In US

Anders Hagstrom White House Correspondent
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President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga condemned Friday a recent increase in discrimination and violence against Asian-Americans at the White House.

“I discussed the increase in discrimination and violence against Asian people across the U.S. with President Biden, and we agreed that discrimination by race cannot be permitted in any society,” Suga said. “Biden’s comment…was extremely encouraging for me and I have renewed my confidence in American confidence once again.”

Suga’s visit to the White House was Biden’s first in-person bilateral meeting since gaining office, and the two countries agreed on the importance of combating China’s human rights abuses and increasing aggression in the South China Sea and against Taiwan.


Suga’s visit came weeks after a series of shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, targeting massage parlors operated primarily by Asian-American women. Six Asian-American women and a white man and woman were killed in the attacks on three separate parlors. (RELATED: ‘We Are Literally Fearing For Our Lives’: Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans Increase)

Chinese officials used more aggressive language to describe the rise in anti-Asian discrimination in March, claiming to Secretary of State Tony Blinken that the U.S. was “slaughtering” its minorities.

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act in a 92-6 vote. The bill aims to combat the rise in hate crimes against Asian-Americans since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

Both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Biden have signaled support for the bill, indicating it will likely be signed into law within days or weeks.

Watch the full press conference below: