President Joe Biden’s visit to Angola on December 1 highlights the U.S.’s dedication to enhancing relations with the African nation, especially in the face of rising competition with China, SAVANNAH NEWSNOW REPORTS.
The White House has stated that the purpose of Biden’s trip is to challenge China’s expanding presence in Africa and establish a foundation for a fresh U.S. strategy towards the continent, one that will persist after his term.
Initially planned for October 13, the visit was delayed because of Hurricane Milton, and on November 29, a senior administration official noted that under Biden’s leadership, the U.S. approach in Africa has shifted from conventional aid to a more investment-oriented strategy, underscoring the significance of Biden’s visit and the strategic choice of Angola.
While there, Biden is expected to highlight his key initiative known as the Lobito Corridor project, which the administration has said is critical for U.S. economic and national security. Launched last year, the rail line investment project will allow the United States to access critical mineral reserves in Africa and expand Africa’s economic opportunities.
The eventual 1,000-mile railway would span three countries, linking Angola’s port city of Lobito to the mineral-rich areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia’s Copperbelt. It’s considered Washington’s major effort to counter the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Africa.
The senior administration official stated that the U.S. investments provide an alternative to Chinese investments, which are often associated with “low standards, child labor, and corruption.”
The investment in infrastructure is expected to cut the transportation time for critical minerals from 45 days to just 45 hours, he mentioned.
President Biden is scheduled to visit Luanda, Angola’s capital, from December 2 to December 4, marking the first African visit by a U.S. president in nearly ten years. Notably, previous presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama made several trips to Africa, whereas President Donald Trump did not visit during his initial term.
This trip will also signify the first-ever visit by a sitting U.S. president to Angola. Furthermore, officials from the Biden administration are confident that many of their initiatives will persist into the next administration.
“U.S.–Africa policy has actually benefited from really strong bipartisan support over the course of multiple administrations. And I think that’s a pretty remarkable tradition,” another senior administration official said during the call.
Biden is expected to deliver a speech in Luanda highlighting his efforts to close Africa’s infrastructure gap, expand economic opportunities, and promote technological and scientific cooperation with the continent.
At the 2022 Africa Leaders’ Summit, the U.S. government pledged to invest $55 billion in Africa and has met 80 percent of the investment commitment since then, according to the White House.
Biden will also hold a bilateral meeting with President João Lourenço of Angola during his visit.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Lourenço stated that, to date, only U.S. oil and gas companies have invested in Angola, an oil rich country. However, he hopes that Biden’s upcoming visit will help diversify U.S. investments into other sectors.
He added that the Angolan government is not concerned that the bilateral relationship between the two countries will be impacted by the incoming Trump administration.
Lourenço attended the U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit in 2022 hosted by Biden in Washington. He later visited Biden at the White House in December last year.
In Luanda, Biden is expected to announce new deliverables related to global health security, agribusiness, security cooperation, and preserving Angola’s cultural heritage.
