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The U.S. for years has built relations in Africa through trade, security, and humanitarian aid. The 800-mile (1,300-kilometer) railway upgrade is different, with shades of China’s Belt and Road infrastructure strategy in Africa and other parts of the world.
U.S. President Joe Biden held talks with his Angolan counterpart João Lourenço in Luanda during the start of his visit to the Sub-Sahara African nation. Angolan President João Lourenço called Biden’s visit a key turning point in U.S.-Angola relations dating back to the Cold War.
Analysts say the visit was meant to counter China’s influence on the African continent of over 1.4 billion people by showcasing the U.S. commitment of US$3 billion for the Lobito Corridor railway redevelopment linking Zambia, Congo, and Angola, China.
The corridor is meant to make it easier to move raw materials for export and advance the U.S. presence in a region rich in critical minerals used in batteries for electric vehicles, electronic devices, and clean energy technologies.
China already has heavy investments in mining and processing African minerals, and it recently announced it is banning exports to the United States of gallium, germanium, antimony, and other high-tech materials. The announcement came a day after the U.S. expanded its list of Chinese technology companies subject to controls.
The U.S. for years has built relations in Africa through trade, security, and humanitarian aid. The 800-mile (1,300-kilometer) railway upgrade is different, with shades of China’s Belt and Road infrastructure strategy in Africa and other parts of the world.
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https://trendsnafrica.com/biden-to-visit-africa-to-showcase-lobito-corridor/
Biden will visit the Angolan coastal city of Lobito on Wednesday for a look at the corridor’s Atlantic Ocean outlet. The project also has drawn financing from the European Union, the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations, a Western-led private consortium, and African banks.
