Joe Biden schedules summit with African leaders as US renews push to invest in the continent
- Washington will be the site of high-level meetings in December, and the question being asked in African capitals: who will be on the list for an invitation?
- To counter China’s influence, Washington has plans to partner with G7 nations to inject hundreds of billions of investment dollars into Africa
The US aims to pump billions of investment dollars into Africa in a renewed commitment to counter China’s growing influence on the continent.
China overtook the US as Africa’s biggest trading partner in 2009, and now Washington will partner with the Group of 7 wealthiest nations to mobilise the investment.
US President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that he would host African leaders at a summit scheduled for December 13-15 to discuss pressing problems including food security and climate change. He said the gathering would “demonstrate the United States’ enduring commitment to Africa, and will underscore the importance of US-Africa relations and increased cooperation on shared global priorities”.
The most recent high-level US-Africa summit was held eight years ago during president Barack Obama’s administration, with leaders from 50 African countries attending.
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Top Chinese diplomat tours East Africa to promote peace, ensure stability for belt and road allies
Beijing’s equivalent, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, is held every three years. In November, the Senegalese capital of Dakar played host to the forum, with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who attended via video link, pledging to advance US$40 billion in funding and promising to increase the value of imports from Africa to US$300 billion in the next three years.