Former President Joe Biden will make his much-anticipated visit to Africa this week to promote a U.S.-backed railway project spanning three countries.
Biden’s three-day trip to Angola, starting this Monday, will highlight the development of the Lobito Corridor in Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola, which he presents as a new approach to counter China’s influence and dominance over Africa’s critical minerals.
According to E.D. Wala Chabala, an independent economic strategy and policy advisor, if the United States maintains leadership in the green economy, it will likely continue to exert global dominance over the international economy.
Chabala said, “If they do not sustain this leadership, you can argue that China will come in and take control of the U.S. economy.”
Biden’s visit marks the fulfillment of his promise to visit Africa during his presidency, although it comes toward the end of his term, with the future of the Lobito project depending on the new administration under Donald Trump.
Some analysts believe this project could align with Trump’s vision to limit China’s influence.
“From the perspective of the U.S. and the EU, if we don’t have access to the critical minerals needed for the green economy, we seem likely to fall behind in the global ecological transition. Thus, the Lobito Corridor is seen as a gateway to critical minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia,” said an analyst.
Biden had promised to visit Africa after reviving the U.S.-Africa Summit in December 2022, following nearly a decade of absence.
