China News Service, December 17th (Reporter Meng Xiangjun) After eight years, the United States has finally turned its attention to the African continent again.

From the 13th to the 15th local time, the U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit attended by heads of state from 49 African countries and heads of the African Union (AU) in Washington, the capital of the United States, came to an end.

　　The summit schedule is very full, and the topics seem to be very diverse.

However, since the second US-Africa summit was finally held after 2014, can it really bring the relationship between the two sides closer?

How much trust do African countries have in the United States?

Shouting "America is back" to Africa, what kind of big game is the United States playing?

Data map: US President Biden.

Falling behind in influence, the United States finally thinks of Africa

　　The three-day schedule for this US-Africa summit is full.

From economic participation, promotion of peace and security, to food safety, expansion of diaspora relations, and response to the climate crisis, the United States seems to have a lot of "confidantes" to discuss with African countries.

For the United States, there is another direction that is indispensable, and that is to promote values ​​such as democracy and good governance.

　　But some countries were still excluded from the list by the United States.

For example, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Sudan, whose membership has been temporarily suspended by the African Union, and Eritrea, which has no diplomatic relations with the United States.

　　Although this summit has generally created a "good opportunity" for the Biden administration to reconnect with the African continent, it is intriguing that the United States seems to have no intention of grasping such a "good opportunity" over the years.

　　The United States finally remembered the "forgotten" Africa-foreign media commented that, in fact, including this time, the US-Africa summit was held twice.

The first time was held during Obama's tenure in 2014. After Trump took office in the White House, he did not attach importance to developing relations with Africa. He even called African countries "shitholes" at one point, causing US-Africa relations to take a turn for the worse.

For eight years, the US-Africa summit has been silent.

The official website of the White House announced the schedule of the US-Africa summit, and the first day was full.

Image source: White House official website

　　How does the Biden administration intend to reset relations with Africa today?

　　The U.S. finally remembered the real reason for Africa. The U.S. media believes that the U.S. lagged behind in the process of competing for influence in Africa, and now wants to "catch up."

The United States is very afraid of China and Russia's "strengthening their influence in Africa."

　　U.S. Deputy Commerce Secretary Graves admitted that China's direct investment in Africa has surpassed that of the United States, and that the United States "has fallen behind" and that "investors and companies must catch up."

When throwing money, Biden made another slip of the tongue

　　Generally speaking, the United States' approach to African countries is inseparable from the "old routine" of throwing money and wooing.

　　First of all, the scale of spreading money is limited, the conditions are harsh, and there is an extra embarrassing moment.

　　The day before the summit was held, that is, on the 12th local time, the US President's National Security Affairs Assistant Sullivan, on behalf of the US government, promised to provide 55 billion US dollars in aid to Africa in the next three years, including economic, health, security support and other fields.

　　The United States will put "all kinds of resources on the table", Sullivan believes that comparing the United States with other countries, we will find that "our performance is very good."

Data map: Sullivan, Assistant to the President of the United States for National Security Affairs.

　　Whether the performance is good or not, we can first look at the African Growth and Opportunity Act of the United States.

The bill allows some eligible African countries to export most products to the United States with zero tariffs, but all of this is conditional, that is, African countries must meet what the United States considers "human rights and democratic standards."

　　This bill will expire in 2025, and under the bill, Africa's exports to the United States will continue to decline.

Only two years before its expiration, the bill was finally discussed by the United States.

Recently, Molly Fee, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs of the US State Department, told the truth: "Unfortunately, the bill has not been fully utilized over the years."

　　The reason is well known to the United States itself.

After all, several African countries have been removed from the list of beneficiaries of the bill over the years.

　　During his speech at the US-Africa summit, Biden made a slip of the tongue, saying that the investment amount to support Africa's digital transformation was 350 million US dollars, instead of 350 billion US dollars.

Biden made a slip of the tongue at the U.S.-Africa Economic and Trade Forum, saying that the aid funds for Africa's digital economy were 350 billion U.S. dollars.

Image source: Screenshot of Russian Satellite News Agency report

　　The White House later made corrections to the transcript of Biden's remarks.

However, the actual investment in the United States has shrunk by a thousand times compared to the scale of "spending money" that the president said. This embarrassing moment has been spread all over the world with the reports of the US media...

It looks beautiful, but it is not simple

　　In terms of wooing, the Biden administration seems to have made a big move.

Before the US-Africa summit was held, rumors spread that the US would express its support for adding an African country to the permanent membership of the UN Security Council and invite more countries from the African Union to join the G20.

　　In the introduction of White House adviser De Vermont, the United States is very "thoughtful".

“We need to hear more from Africa in international dialogues on the global economy, democracy and governance, climate change, health and security,” he said.

　　As an important international organization to discuss the development of the world economy and the reform of the financial system, the G20 is mainly composed of developed economies and emerging market economies.

The AU has 55 countries, but South Africa is the only G20 member.

It is also the appeal of African countries to increase the proportion of developing countries in the United Nations.

Data map: Next to the streets of Bali, Indonesia, there is a poster for the 2022 G20 summit.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Li Zhihua

　　However, does the United States really want to give Africa two "big gifts" without selfishness?

　　In fact, after the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, in the process of building an international "anti-Russian front", the United States found that even under pressure, some key African countries were still unwilling to stand up to condemn Russia or join military operations supported by the United States.

The Biden administration was "surprised and dissatisfied" by this.

　　Russia has continued to deepen Russia-Africa relations in recent years. In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Senegalese President Sall, who is visiting Russia as the rotating chairman of the African Union. It is planned to hold the second Russia-Africa summit in 2023, so that the United States can enjoy it.

　　After the establishment of the Biden administration, it stepped up its diplomatic actions towards Africa, held the US-Africa Business Summit, US Secretary of State Blinken also visited Africa, and announced the "US Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa".

In addition to promoting post-epidemic economic recovery and supporting environmental protection, climate and energy transitions, the four main goals of the strategy also include fostering an open society and delivering democracy and security dividends.

In August 2022, the White House released the Sub-Saharan National Security Strategy.

Image source: White House official website

　　African countries are very clear about what the open society and democratic dividends that the United States refers to mean.

　　Observers also pointed out that even during the three-day large-scale meeting, the United States has not arranged any face-to-face bilateral meetings between the US president and leaders of African countries, which shows that the United States is actually engaging in "superficial efforts."

"U.S. strategy cannot keep up with changes in Africa"

　　According to foreign media reports, Carlos Lopez, visiting professor at the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance at the University of Cape Town and former executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, pointed out that many of the promises made at the US-Africa summit were "predetermined in Washington. , rather than through consultations".

　　He believes that the summit is unlikely to bring about "structural changes" and is more like "a geopolitical exercise, a photo session."

　　Reuters pointed out that the United States is the world's largest foreign aid donor, but only one-third of the donated funds flow to Africa.

In terms of trade, the United States has only signed a free trade agreement with one African country, Morocco.

The introduction of the U.S. Inflation Cut Act to boost local manufacturing will hurt battery material producers in Africa.

　　The South African think tank "South African Institute for Global Dialogue" emphasized through a report that for Africa, the attractiveness and influence of the United States are significantly declining, which may be the reason for Washington's efforts to strengthen engagement with the African continent.

African countries have reason to worry that the United States may disrupt African politics.

　　According to the analysis of the American "Foreign Policy" magazine, the US African strategy has not kept up with the pace of changes in this continent.

The United States should "let go of the clichés" and reformulate its geopolitical understanding of Africa, proving that the importance of Africa stems from its intrinsic value and potential rather than its role in great power competition.

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