New York, Dec 2 (FN Bureau) US President Joe Biden will be fulfilling a two-year promise to visit Africa, departing for Angola on Sunday night for a three-day trip aimed at strengthening ties with the continent in the face of China’s growing influence. Biden’s visit marks the first time a sitting U.S. president has traveled to sub-Saharan Africa since 2015 and underscores the United States’ renewed focus on bolstering its partnerships across the region. Biden’s visit to Angola, an oil-rich country on Africa’s western coast, is positioned as a key part of the Biden administration’s broader strategy to counter China’s expansive footprint in Africa. The Chinese government has made significant investments across the continent through its Belt and Road Initiative, which has included billions of dollars in infrastructure projects. Beijing also pledged $50 billion in financial support to Africa in September, as well as military aid. Biden, who had initially committed to visiting Africa in 2023, will use this trip to highlight U.S. investments in critical projects, including the Lobito Corridor, a major infrastructure initiative aimed at facilitating the transport of critical minerals from interior Africa to Angola’s western port. The Lobito Corridor project is a focal point of the U.S. strategy to provide alternatives to China’s financing, particularly by offering investments that adhere to higher standards of environmental protection and labour rights.
At the same time, Russia has tried to expand its influence in Africa. The head of US Africa Command warned Congress in March that Russia is aggressively working to expand its footing among African countries, leaving several “at the tipping point” of falling under its influence. While China and Russia have made inroads in the continent, a senior administration official previewing the trip argued Biden “put us back on the field” by “offering this alternative” to China through US-backed investments, the report said. “That is the choice that is now available to countries throughout the region, not looking at, ‘Do I have to accept Chinese investment with low standards and child labor and corruption – but do I have another offering to compare it to?’” the senior official said. “This is what President Biden’s wanted: to transform our relationship in the region, to offer a different – more – investment, but with higher standards”, according to the CNN. While the trip seeks to cement U.S.-Angola relations, it also comes at a time of political uncertainty, with President-elect Donald Trump poised to take office in January. Angola’s President Lourenço expressed confidence in maintaining strong ties with the U.S., regardless of leadership changes.