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At Biden's first Africa summit, US plays catch-up to China

The three-day summit will bring together African leaders from across the continent, including several with problematic rights records.
The delegation from Ethiopia arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on December 11, 2022, to attend the US-Africa Leaders Summit. - The summit will take place in Washington, DC, December 13-15. (Photo by OLIVER CONTRERAS/AFP via Getty Images)

President Joe Biden will convene some 50 African heads of state and leaders in Washington this week, with the goal of revitalizing US partnerships with Africa at a time when China and other US competitors are vying for influence in the continent.

Biden’s three-day US-Africa Leaders Summit is meant to advance shared priorities through conversations focused on food security, trade, climate change, good governance, global health and a range of global challenges, US officials said. 

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