US-Africa Summit: Will Biden convince African Leaders to abandon China?

WASHINGTON - The United States of America seeks to boost cooperation with African nations as President Joe Biden hosts over 50 African leaders as the second US-Africa Leaders Summit kicks off today in Washington, DC.

The t3-day summit will focus on key challenges, including the climate crisis, good governance, food security, and global health, as well as bolstering US-Africa trade and investment opportunities.

President Biden early this year vowed to renew commitment to the African continent routinely neglected by the West.

However, experts argue that the event will not meet the various demands for the development of different African countries.

Prof Peter Kagwanja-Foreign Policy Expert, “We must call a spade a spade and not a big fork, the West's influence in Africa is gone and no matter how many sweet words the US president uses during this summit, the US still sees Africa as an arena to serve its strategic goal of competing with China and that's where they go wrong, they should consider Africa as an equal player in the global arena and not some kind of small boy they can easily bully around and determine what they get and how they get it.”

While announcing the event, president Biden’s administration played down their concerns over Chinese influence in the African continent.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre while responding to questions about China also evaded the narrative saying that “This summit is an opportunity to deepen many partnerships we have on the African continent.”

The US government has never considered Africa as a key player and hence it does not care about the continent’s infrastructural development agenda.

President Biden is now eyeing to use challenges facing the continent like food security, climate change, public health, and infrastructure to lure the African leaders to abandon China.

Prof Kagwanja opines that the sincerity of the US in assisting African nations' infrastructural development remains a mirage since they don't have a plan for the continent.

The White House reveals that president Biden will deliver remarks at a US-Africa business forum, hold small group meetings with African leaders, host a leaders’ dinner at the White House and take part in other sessions with leaders during the gathering.

Biden’s administration is also planning to push for the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) during the summit.

”Yes over the last few years the US has been making noise about their infrastructural plans for the continent and also planning to compete with the Asian giant China but what they lack is a funding element in which China has an upper hand.”

China's influence in Africa

The last two decades, the African continent has welcomed the Asian giant in propelling its quest for infrastructural development agenda.

China has made enormous inroads on the African continent as part of its $ 4.3 trillion Belt and Road campaign, building roads, ports, and other infrastructure, investing in mining and other extractive industries, and even snapping up banks.

While the West led by the US has been making demands over human rights or environmental concerns and also interfering with the continental’s democratic process.

China has shunned away from political interference which has worked for the Asian giant to gain vast influence and access to markets, intelligence, and energy.

It's no doubt that the non-interference strategy has worked for China, making it the biggest player within the continent with a footprint in nearly every African country.

Chinese bilateral trade has grown to be Africa’s largest two-way trading partner, to the tune of $254 billion — nearly four times the value of U.S.-Africa trade.

GAROWE ONLINE