US seeks stronger ties with Africa in summit amid China clout
- Rolling red carpet to Africans, US warns of ‘destabilising’ China and Russia
- The US-Africa summit is the first since Barack Obama invited leaders in 2014
A three-day US-Africa summit began on Tuesday in Washington, with President Joe Biden’s administration planning to commit US$55 billion over the next three years to support the continent, where China is increasing its economic clout.
A total of 49 countries and the African Union have been invited to the event for talks on cooperation on a range of issues such as trade and investment, security, health and climate, and space.
On Tuesday, the Biden administration announced the expansion of Washington’s space partnerships by welcoming the first African signatories – Nigeria and Rwanda – to the Artemis Accords laying out principles toward peaceful exploration and use of outer space, bringing the total participants to 23 nations.
The accords also support activities of the Artemis project, a US-led international effort aimed at advancing lunar exploration and eventually sending astronauts on missions to Mars. Other nations that have joined the accords include Japan, South Korea, Australia and France.
A senior State Department official stressed the need for space cooperation, citing how a Nigerian satellite became the first to deliver urgently needed first images showing the scale of damage when Hurricane Katrina hit southeastern United States in 2005.
Upon announcing its hosting of the US-Africa Leaders Summit, the White House said the gathering will “demonstrate the United States’ enduring commitment to Africa, and will underscore the importance of US-Africa relations and increased cooperation on shared global priorities”.
Don’t make Africa a China-US battleground, Beijing says
Biden also intends to announce during the event US support for the AU to join the Group of 20 major economies as a permanent member, hoping to bring more voices from Africa into the international forum, according to White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
While Sullivan has said the summit is “about the affirmative agenda that the United States has to bring to bear with Africa” and not about attempting to compare with “other countries,” the US-China rivalry over the continent seems to be increasing.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin warned during one session on peace and security that activities by China and Russia in Africa bear “watching” and their influence “can be destabilising”.
He said China is expanding its footprint on the continent “on a daily basis” and also expanding its economic influence, adding that “they’re not always transparent in terms of what they’re doing and that creates problems that will be eventually destabilising, if they’re not already”.
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Russia, meanwhile, continues “to peddle cheap weapons” and employ mercenaries across the continent.
China has rejected criticism of its role in Africa, with its ambassador in Washington, Qin Gang, saying the continent should not be a place for “major powers’ competition”.
Some experts say that while the summit is welcome, such a gathering is “overdue” in light of China’s increasing involvement in Africa, including through its Belt and Road infrastructure projects.
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“Over the decades since the Cold War, Chinese influence in Africa has increased significantly, while US influence has flatlined,” Thomas Sheehy, who examines the role of Beijing in Africa at the US Institute of Peace, wrote in a commentary posted on the organisation’s website earlier this month.
China has been holding the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation every three years since 2000, while other nations including Russia and Japan also hold Africa summits. The latest US-Africa gathering, however, is only the second Africa summit held by the United States, with the first occurring in 2014, according to Sheehy.
China’s first overseas military base has been established in the East African nation of Djibouti on the Bab el Mandeb Strait, a chokepoint between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
