Daven Tamayo

In Angola, Biden promises to invest differently to China

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1733324807880AFP__20240515__34RQ4JM__v1__Preview__UsPoliticsPoliceMemorialBiden.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="US President Joe Biden speaks at the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, May 15, 2024. Mandel Ngan, AFP/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">US President Joe Biden speaks at the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, May 15, 2024. <em>Mandel Ngan, AFP/File</em></span></span></span>LOBITO, Angola-- President Joe Biden will make the case on Wednesday in Angola that the United States must do better rather than more than China to regain influence in Africa.</div><p>Biden is on the second day of a visit to the African country, where the United States is showcasing a major infrastructure project aimed at countering China&#x27;s investments on the continent.</p><p>&quot;The investment from the United States versus from others, it&#x27;s not about more or less, it&#x27;s about (being) different,&quot; a senior US administration official told reporters.</p><p>&quot;Others (are) coming in with very large checks, building a lot of stuff, but that is with high interest rates on debt... and it doesn&#x27;t come with any of the commitments to their society,&quot; the source added.</p><p>The outgoing president had promised to visit sub-Saharan Africa during his time in office and is the first US president to travel to Angola, a former Portuguese colony once allied to the Soviet Union.</p><p>But the trip takes place as the 82-year-old readies to leave the White House with little political weight left, raising questions about the impact of the visit.</p><p>On Tuesday, Biden met his counterpart President Joao Lourenco, 70, who was elected in 2017, and delivered remarks at the National Slavery Museum where slaves were once shipped to the Americas.</p><p>The Democrat&#x27;s schedule on Wednesday will be focused on the economy and a visit to Lobito port, around 500 kilometres (310 miles) south of the capital, Luanda.</p><p>He will also visit a food processing factory before attending a summit on infrastructure with the leaders of Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zambia and Tanzania.</p><p>The US president is expected to announce fresh investments worth $600 million for the Lobito Corridor, a massive infrastructure project aimed at transporting critical minerals from inland countries to the Angolan port for export.</p><p>The White House has said the initiative would also help develop communities around the railway, including boosting agriculture and business in general.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2024/12/2/biden-pardons-son-hunter-ahead-of-sentencing-statement-0912">READ: Biden pardons son Hunter ahead of sentencing</a></div><div><strong>- Reducing 45 days to 45 hours -</strong></div><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAEyze-tm4MR6kEa&amp;cid=ABRT83zRGerLZo0g&amp;activation=click&amp;vip_mode=playing&amp;vip_position=bottom-right"></script><p>The Lobito railway, also funded by the European Union and others, will reduce the time needed to transport minerals from the DRC and Zambia to Angola from 45 days to 45 hours, according to the US administration.</p><p>Biden&#x27;s team said it was confident that President-elect Donald Trump, who will be sworn in on January 20, will support the project that is widely seen as an alternative to Chinese investments on the continent.</p><p>&quot;You can&#x27;t stand up and say, I want to compete with China... and not support what&#x27;s happening here,&quot; the senior administration official said.</p><p>The Republican president-elect is known for wanting to be &quot;tough&quot; on China and has promised blanket tariffs, raising concerns of a trade war.</p><p>During his first term, Trump did not pay much attention to Africa, a continent he once reportedly described as home to &quot;sh*thole countries&quot;.</p><p>For the Lobito Corridor to be a real success, the United States will have to cooperate with China because it &quot;dominates the mining sector&quot; in particular in the DRC and Zambia, according to Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, director of the Africa Program at the DC-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.</p><p>&quot;Critics of the (Lobito) project,&quot; he said, &quot;charge that it is as extractive and exploitative as the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative&quot; -- China&#x27;s flagship international infrastructure project.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>President Joe Biden will make the case on Wednesday in Angola that the United States must do better rather than more than China to regain influence in Africa.</p>

President Joe Biden will make the case on Wednesday in Angola that the United States must do better rather than more than China to regain influence in Africa.

In Angola, Biden promises to invest differently to China

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

World

In Angola, Biden promises to invest differently to China

Agence France-Presse,

Aurélia End

Published Dec 05, 2024 01:12 AM PHT

Read More:

absnews

anc promo

Angola

Africa

Joe Biden

United States

China

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.