Biden will make a historic visit to Africa to counter Chinese influence

The trip, scheduled for Monday through Wednesday, will be the first time a sitting U.S. president has visited Africa since former President Barack Obama visited Kenya and Ethiopia in 2015.

Democrats search for answers as Barack Obama’s influence wanes

Biden is expected to meet with Angolan President João Lourenço in the capital Luanda. The government announced on Sunday that he had already met Lourenço in the White House in December 2023.

The US President is also expected to speak about the African country’s cultural heritage, health security and agricultural industry. The government said 80% of its $55 billion commitment to Africa in 2022 had been met.

The Biden administration’s rulemaking blitz is aimed at making the federal government Trump-proof

“More and more people are connecting to 3G and are now building out 5G networks and renewable energy,” said a senior administration official who did not want to be named. “In fact, the U.S. has approved Ex-Im Bank financing of nearly $2.5 billion in renewable energy projects that can move countries from energy deficits to energy exporters to their neighbors.”

The trip comes a few months after Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged more than $50 billion to support Africa over the next three years, saying his country’s relations with the continent were “the best in history.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The senior U.S. government official acknowledged China’s influence in the region but countered that African nations would welcome help from anywhere.

“The one thing African leaders don’t want is for people to say they’re under – they have the Chinese investments; They have Chinese influence and that is why no one else in the world should go to Africa,” the official said. “This is the opposite of what everyone in Africa wants.”