Hurrey, America is coming to make Africa Heaven

Creativity needed to secure supply chains and avoid pressuring African countries to pick between the United States and China.

An interesting trend is emerging in U.S.-Africa relations: even as the United States moves to counter Chinese influence in key sectors like critical minerals, China’s influence in Africa is subtly reshaping the United States’ own approach to engaging with the continent.

An interesting trend is emerging in U.S.-Africa relations: even as the United States moves to counter Chinese influence in key sectors like critical minerals, China’s influence in Africa is subtly reshaping the United States’ own approach to engaging with the continent.

When U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visited Africa in late January, many of his talking points were familiar, including a focus on threats to security and democracy, particularly in the coup-ridden Sahel region. Less predictable was a seeming expansion from security and health engagement to include trade, industrialization and infrastructure.

Blinken emphasized (in the words of State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller) “our future-focused economic partnership, and how the United States is investing in infrastructure in Africa to boost two-way trade, create jobs at home and on the continent, and help Africa compete in the global marketplace.”

This engagement was laid out in a White House fact sheet in December. It listed numerous infrastructure-related initiatives, including $2 billion from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation “supporting strategic infrastructure,” …..