27.03.2023
US Vice President Harris began his visit to Africa on the 26th and announced on the 27th that he will provide US$100 million to strengthen the security of West African coastal countries. To counter China’s growing influence in Africa, the United States continues to use in Africa What countries will Harris visit during this trip? How has the United States strengthened its relations with African countries recently?
(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) US Vice President Kamala Harris (Kamala Harris, also translated as He Jinli) arrived in Ghana last Sunday (March 26) for a week-long visit aimed at deepening ties with African countries and will increase visits to Africa. investing, discussing issues such as food security and climate change, and countering China’s influence in Africa.
Harris said on the 26th: “During this visit, my focus is to increase investment in the African continent and promote economic growth and opportunity.” Meeting and publishing investment matters.
According to Agence France-Presse, Harris met with the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo (Nana Akufo-Addo) on Monday (27th) and announced a bilateral aid plan that will provide US $ 100 million to strengthen the security of West African coastal countries. Earlier, Harris’ office said the United States would provide $139 million in bilateral aid to Ghana next year, covering economic, business and cultural aspects, as well as health initiatives to fight malaria. In addition, Washington will send a local special adviser to Ghana to assist the government in managing its debt situation.
In the face of external concerns about China’s investment in Africa, Akufo-Addo said that Ghana has relations with many countries, and China is one of them; when it comes to the relationship between Ghana and the United States, it has its own “dynamic force”. .
According to a statement from the White House on the 24th, Harris’ trip is a continuation of Biden’s commitment to “fully invest” in Africa at the US-Africa summit at the end of last year; , health and safety support.
Although White House officials have emphasized that the trip is only about relations between the United States and Africa, the strategic importance of Africa has grown as the United States redirects its foreign policy towards China; China has invested heavily in Africa in recent decades, including in local infrastructure and resource development. For example, Ghana once struck a US$2 billion deal with a Chinese company, exchanging its key minerals for aluminum production in exchange for Chinese-funded road development and other projects.
The photo shows Biden discussing at the USA-Africa Summit in Washington on December 15 last year.
US Strengthens US-African Ties
Since former US President Trump paid little attention to Africa in his diplomacy, the Biden administration has tried to improve relations between the United States and Africa since it took office. In August last year, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Africa and announced the “US Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa”, focusing on strengthening African democracy and promoting its post-pandemic economic recovery.
In December last year, Washington invited 49 African leaders to participate in the US-Africa summit, and Biden announced the signing of a memorandum of cooperation with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to promote US companies’ exports to Africa. American companies VISA and General Electric have announced their intention to invest in Africa. Biden also publicly supported the African Union joining the Group of 20 (G20) as a permanent member.
In January this year, Janet Yellen, the Secretary of the US Treasury (Janet Yellen) visited Africa and also emphasized the need to deepen economic relations with African countries. During her visit to Zambia, she criticized China bluntly as an “obstacle” to the general debt of the country. Afterwards, China responded that the US should manage its own debt well.
The first lady of the United States, Jill Biden, visited Namibia and Kenya in February, addressing the rights of local women and children, food security and other issues. Blinken visited Africa again in mid-March and announced in Niger that he would provide $150 million in new humanitarian aid to the Shahr region of Africa. Biden is also expected to visit African countries this year to continue strengthening ties between the United States and Africa.
(comprehensive report)
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