For three days, the US-African summit was organized in Washington, which was called for by the administration of President Joe Biden, and it concludes today with many expectations and challenges for both parties. The United States says it wants to build a strong partnership, and that the summit aims to show its “permanent commitment to Africa,” while African leaders speak of their aspiration to build strong relations “away from the politics of dictates.”
It was no secret to anyone that the summit comes in the context of America’s strategy to limit Chinese and Russian influence, which has grown significantly on the African continent over the past two decades. The Biden administration was keen to invite all African countries, including some countries that have reservations about its policies, and only Sudan, Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso were excluded because of the military coups that took place there.
Africa is important in the context of the US-Chinese competition for influence. Because it is the second largest continent after Asia, with a population of one billion and 400 million people, young people under the age of 25 represent 60 percent of the population, and this number is increasing. US Vice President Kamala Harris said the day before yesterday that Africa is the fastest growing continent in the world, and its need for education, technology and infrastructure is increasing, in light of the population increase, which means a purchasing power of $ 2.1 trillion for the global economy.
The question is, will America succeed in curtailing Chinese influence in Africa?
It certainly won’t be easy. China has become the largest trading partner of the African continent during the last decade. According to official figures published by Beijing, the volume of its trade exchange with Africa increased by 35 percent in 2021 and amounted to $254 billion, in addition to the fact that Beijing is the largest lender to African countries. This is at a time when the…