President Biden’s Angola Visit Highlights US Strategy to Counter China’s Influence

US President Joe Biden has commenced his much-anticipated initial visit to sub-Saharan Africa, a trip occurring amid questions regarding the future of US-Africa relations as Donald Trump is set to take office in January. President Biden’s trip to Angola, a nation abundant in oil, aims to emphasize America’s increased focus on commerce and substantial infrastructure investments. This initiative is viewed by some analysts as the most direct challenge to date against China’s continental influence. Angolan analyst Edmilson Angelo commented to the BBC, stating, “It’s a perfect marriage of convenience.” The selection of Angola by President Biden holds considerable importance, as he is the inaugural US president to visit the country, indicating a notable enhancement in bilateral relations. Following its independence from Portuguese colonial rule in 1975, Angola was closely aligned with China and Russia politically. However, since assuming the presidency in 2017, President João Lourenço has guided the nation toward stronger ties with the United States. Alex Vines, director of the Africa programme at Chatham House, a London-based think tank, observed that “Lourenço’s administration has seen Angolan foreign policy move away from ideology towards pragmatic multipolarity, becoming truly non-aligned.” President Biden is expected to emphasize his flagship regional project: a railway line spanning 1,344km (835 miles). This line will link cobalt, lithium, and copper mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia’s copper-belt region to the Angolan port city of Lobito on the Atlantic Ocean. Beyond oil, Angola possesses abundant minerals such as cobalt and lithium, vital components for electric vehicle batteries. Upon its completion, the Lobito Corridor is designed to facilitate the transportation of these crucial minerals from Africa’s mineral-rich interior to Europe and the US. According to its website, the Lobito Corridor Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) states that US participation “represents the first alternative from Washington DC to China’s Belt and Road Initiative,” which seeks to establish numerous trade routes connecting various countries in Africa and beyond to the Asian economic power. This visit by President Biden occurs near the conclusion of his presidential term, and it remains uncertain whether the incoming Trump administration will maintain the project. Dr. Vines suggests it “may survive the Trump presidency as it is primarily aimed at competing against China.” Nevertheless, he highlights that both Western and Chinese companies will have access to the infrastructure, which “may make its value questionable to Trump, a US president who will likely define his administration in large measure by competition with Beijing.” President Lourenço conveyed his expectation that the Trump administration would advance the initiative. He informed the New York Times before Biden’s visit, “Powers come and go, so, all we have to do is to be ready to work with those that will be in power.” The Lobito Corridor constitutes a collaborative undertaking involving the three African nations, the US, other G7 powers, and private investors. Helaina Matza, the acting special coordinator for the project at the US Department of State, stated, “We have a collective commitment for global support among the G7 countries of $600bn [£470bn] and over – through 2027.” President Lourenço defended the investment, refuting worries that it mirrors the colonial-era exploitation of African resources. He explained to the New York Times, “Today, when we export the minerals, we export them in the interest of the African countries, different from what used to be in the colonial period when they were extracted without the consent of our indigenous people.” However, an increasing number of African nations are contemplating a reduction in raw material exports to encourage domestic processing. Anthony Carroll, a minerals expert at the US Institute of Peace, indicated that such a development could undermine the corridor’s anticipated economic benefits. He maintains optimism that the extensive copper deposits in DR Congo and Zambia will sustain the Lobito Corridor’s viability due to “a steady demand” for copper worldwide. He notes that lithium and cobalt experience a more “cyclical” demand. The US Geological Survey estimates that the Democratic Republic of Congo holds almost half of the world’s cobalt deposits. This expansive central African nation presently supplies approximately 63% of the global mineral, with most of it exported in raw form. Mr. Angelo expresses confidence that African countries will progressively enhance their industrial capacities. He characterizes President Biden’s visit and the investment in the Lobito Corridor as a significant impetus for Angola’s endeavors to transform its international perception. Mr. Angelo states, “He presents Angola as a safe place to invest,” further remarking, “Where the US president goes, the whole world follows.” Angola has been engaged in infrastructure reconstruction since the conclusion of its nearly 30-year civil war in 2002. The conflict devastated the colonial-era Benguela railway line, a component of the corridor, leaving only 3% operational by the war’s end. Subsequently, efforts to revitalize it commenced, with China initiating the first investments. From 2006 to 2014, China invested approximately $2 billion to refurbish the railway via a rail-for-oil agreement. However, President Lourenço has voiced regret concerning this arrangement, informing the New York Times that it was “disadvantageous” to Angola. He stated, “If you would ask me now if I had to take a new loan under the same conditions, I would say: ‘No’,” while also confirming that Angola would nonetheless settle the debt. China’s extensive infrastructure investments, particularly through its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, have drawn criticism for leading nations in Africa and Asia into significant debt. The United States’ entry into substantial infrastructure investments in Africa would operate concurrently with Chinese-supported projects, thereby illustrating a more multipolar strategy. China currently holds control over as much as 80% of the copper mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is among the world’s leading producers of the mineral. As global attention shifts towards greener energy, including electric vehicles, the mining regions of central Africa are expected to gain increasing appeal. Consequently, the American pivot towards infrastructure investment in the region is unsurprising. Construction has already commenced along the Lobito Corridor, with its initial phase involving the upgrade of the existing railway from the port to the DR Congo border, financed by the US Development Finance Corporation. Ms. Matza indicated that the second phase would entail 800km of new railway construction, originating in Angola. The ultimate objective is to establish a connection between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean via Tanzania. In addition to mineral transportation, the railway has the potential to stimulate trade and agriculture along its path. The Africa Development Bank is currently allocating $500 million to projects aimed at enhancing domestic and cross-border trade by fostering small businesses, cooperatives, and traders situated along the Lobito Corridor. According to the State Department, US trade with Angola reached approximately $1.77 billion in 2023, positioning the oil-producing nation as America’s fourth-largest trade partner in sub-Saharan Africa. President Biden’s visit fulfills a commitment he made to the continent in 2022, though it occurred later than initially planned. It also contributes to defining Angola’s role in regional and global development for the foreseeable future, notwithstanding the ambiguities surrounding the Trump administration’s approach to the relationship. For additional news from the African continent, visit BBCAfrica.com. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa, or on Instagram at bbcafrica. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. 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