Joe Biden tells African leaders US is ‘all in’ on the continent
- The president laid out billions in promised government funding and private investment as he hosted the US-Africa Leaders Summit
- The US has fallen well behind China in investment in sub-Saharan Africa, which has become a key battleground in the competition between the major powers
President Joe Biden told dozens of African leaders gathered in Washington that the United States is “all in on Africa’s future”, laying out billions in promised government funding and private investment on Wednesday to help the growing continent in health, infrastructure, business and technology.
“The US is committed to supporting every aspect of Africa’s growth,” Biden told the leaders and others in a big conference hall, presenting his vision at the three-day US-Africa Leaders Summit of how the US can be a critical catalyst.
Biden, who is pitching the US as a reliable partner to promote democratic elections and push critical health and energy growth, told the crowd the US$55 billion in committed investments over the next three years – announced on Monday – was “just the beginning”.
He announced more than US$15 billion in private trade and investment commitments and partnerships. “There’s so much more we can do together and that we will do together,” he said.
The United States has fallen well behind China in investment in sub-Saharan Africa, which has become a key battleground in an increasingly fraught competition between the major powers.