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.
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.
An underlying theme of the summit, which begins Tuesday, is reinforcing American commitment to the continent. As its population swells, countries including China and Russia are making major economic and military inroads in Africa, home to some of the fastest-growing economies in the world and one of the largest regional voting blocs in the United Nations.
“The summit is really rooted in the recognition that Africa is a key geopolitical player and one that is shaping our present and will shape our future,” a senior administration official said at a briefing last week.
