International Observation: The US-Africa Summit Concludes Africans Say They Don’t Have Much Hope

　　On December 15, the three-day US-Africa summit came to an end.

The White House statement said the U.S.-Africa summit in Washington underscored the U.S. commitment to expand and deepen partnerships with African countries, institutions and peoples.

The Biden administration plans to work closely with Congress to invest at least $55 billion in Africa over the next three years.

The United States will also appoint a new special representative of the president to implement the summit's commitments.

　　Although U.S. President Biden did not mention China in his speech at the U.S.-Africa summit, the White House spokesperson also refused to acknowledge the statement that the U.S.-Africa summit was to "counter China's influence in Africa."

However, international public opinion is not optimistic about the US-Africa summit, believing that the US has suddenly changed its neglected attitude and started to pay attention to Africa.

　　The Associated Press commented that Africa is still crucial to global powers because of its rapidly growing population, rich natural resources and large voting rights in the United Nations.

The Biden administration regards China as the most important economic and military opponent of the United States.

Africa is of strategic importance at a time when the United States is recalibrating its foreign policy to focus more on China.

The Turkish public broadcaster said Washington was seeking deeper diplomatic and commercial engagement with African countries to counter China's rising influence on the continent.

　　The Council on Foreign Relations noted that the U.S.-Africa summit was aimed at underscoring U.S. commitment to the continent as China deepens ties with Africa.

In recent years, Washington has been criticized for its relative lack of engagement with Africa.

Deutsche Welle reported that the US-Africa summit is aimed at China.

Africa is increasingly becoming a place of great power competition, but the investment of the United States in Africa is much lower than that of China.

According to a report this year by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the presence of American companies in Africa is not only lower than that of Chinese companies, but even lower than that of countries such as Turkey in some respects.

　　For a long time, the relationship between the United States and Africa has been neglected and there has been a "trust deficit", which cannot be easily eliminated.

Alikana Chihombori-Queo, the former representative of the African Union to the United States, believes that there is not much hope for the US-Africa summit.

U.S. officials view Africans as beings who "need help" or "need to be told what to do," she said, undermining relations between Africa and Washington.

"America needs to stop doing this and respect Africans." She believes that the US-Africa summit will fail unless Americans treat Africans equally.

　　Mwemba Fizzo Dizolele, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Cameron Hudson, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, believe the Biden administration is starting the second U.S.-Africa summit with a "trust deficit" , if the Biden administration wants to bring life to a new era of true "partnership," it "must overcome the trust deficit."

　　Bloomberg News reported that Biden welcomed African leaders to reverse the image of the United States ignoring Africa.

Biden is working to change the perception among Africans that the U.S. is ignoring the continent as China and Russia move into it.

But U.S. officials admit they face an uphill battle in convincing African leaders that they are committed to reversing years of U.S. neglect of Africa.

　　The South African Independent News Network pointed out that at a time of major adjustments in global power, the United States is trying to establish friendly relations with Africa. In particular, the crisis in Ukraine has become a catalyst for the United States to win friends against China and Russia.

In August this year, when South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Pandor met with US Secretary of State Blinken, she criticized the West for adopting a condescending and bullying attitude towards Africa.

She made it clear that South Africa has different views from the United States on issues concerning China, Ukraine, and Palestine and Israel.

　　An Al Jazeera article bluntly stated that China's success in Africa "is particularly annoying to Washington".

Over the past 20 years, China's influence on the African continent has continued to expand.

China's direct involvement in Africa, through loans and large infrastructure and technology projects, makes it harder for other countries, such as the United States, to compete.

　　In fact, African countries and people are more optimistic about cooperation with China.

South African journalist Edwin Naidu pointed out that a survey of African youth in 2022 showed that about 77% of African youth believed that China was the most influential foreign power in Africa.

He said that it is already a fact that the BRICS partnership has brought prosperity to the African continent.