Staff Reports
President Joe Biden’s latest jaunt to Angola is a classic example of Democratic optics at its finest—an extravagant show of supposedly solidarity with an African nation that sounds more like a desperate attempt to counteract China’s growing influence on the continent. Scheduled from Monday through Wednesday, this trip marks the first time a sitting U.S. president has trekked down to Africa since Barack Obama graced Kenya and Ethiopia with his presence in 2015. It’s almost nostalgic, if nostalgia means realizing how futile and late to the party Biden’s administration often appears.
Biden’s itinerary includes a face-to-face discussion with Angolan President João Lourenço, who has already been subjected to Biden’s charm offensive back in December 2023 at the White House. It seems the meetings agenda will take on the usual feel-good platitudes, circling around topics like cultural heritage, health security, and agribusiness. The administration touts its impressive achievement of fulfilling roughly 80% of its $55 billion pledge to Africa—something the average American might wonder about considering the state of road repair and collapsing bridges in their own backyard.
President Joe Biden began his long-promised visit to Africa on Monday to showcase a U.S.-backed railway project in Zambia, Congo, and Angola that he has pushed as a new approach in countering some of China’s influence in the region. pic.twitter.com/AglDbhJa0T
— NTD Television (@TelevisionNTD) December 2, 2024
One senior official pointed out that more folks in Angola are now connected to 3G and are even starting to look towards 5G networks. Sure, that sounds great until one considers the fact that while the U.S. is pouring funds into renewable energy projects, it may not really be enough to sway the favor of nations suddenly enamored with Chinese investment. Maybe this is just the Biden administration’s attempt to shout “Look, we have renewable energy!” while China throws around $50 billion like confetti—a stark contrast to what America offers.
The timing of Biden’s goodwill visit is notable, coming right on the heels of Chinese President Xi Jinping promising an eye-popping investment in Africa. While China boasts that its relationship with the continent has never been stronger, Biden’s administration seems to be adopting a “better late than never” approach that most people would see through any day of the week. After all, it seems like an uphill battle to compete with gifts that size.
Yet, the Biden administration’s spin includes a rather fascinating claim that African leaders desire an array of foreign investment and don’t want to be pigeonholed under Beijing’s shadow. Quite the proposition, as if those leaders aren’t already acutely aware of the looming Chinese presence and their own precarious position. The claim sounds good on paper, but one can’t help but wonder whether Biden’s trip is more about another grand photo-op and less about real, tangible support to these nations. As the responses from various corners of America suggest, enthusiasm for the visit seems as low as energy prices during a regulatory chokehold.
