This archive report was first published on 19 November 2021.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has described Africa as a 'major geopolitical power' where the United States can deliver tangible benefits, as he seeks to boost US influence in the face of rising Chinese investment.
Speaking in Abuja, Nigeria, on November 19, 2021, Blinken said that President Joe Biden plans to convene a summit of African leaders, days before China holds a major meeting on Africa in Senegal.
Blinken acknowledged that Africans have been 'wary of the strings' that often come with foreign engagement, but emphasized that the United States does not want to limit partnerships with other countries.
'We don't want to make you choose. We want to give you choices,' Blinken said, adding that the US approach will be 'sustainable, transparent and values-driven.'
He criticized other nations' infrastructure deals, saying they can be 'opaque, coercive, burden countries with unmanageable debt, are environmentally destructive and don't always benefit the people who actually live there.'
Blinken also acknowledged the painful legacies of colonialism, slavery, and exploitation that endure today, and promised cooperation on areas including fighting Covid-19 and climate change.
His three-nation trip also included Kenya, where he met with religious and civil society leaders as part of an effort to move beyond dealings just with governments in Africa.
