President Biden hosted Angolan President Joao Lorenzo at the White House on Thursday, promoting a major US investment in the country as he seeks to uphold his commitment to revitalize relations with African nations.
The visit marked three decades of diplomatic relations between the countries, and the two leaders discussed cooperation on critical issues such as trade, energy, climate and a $1 billion infrastructure project that would help Angola’s economy. But it came as the administration faced questions about the United States’ commitment to the continent as plans for a long-promised visit by Mr Biden — originally expected this year — remain up in the air.
Mr. Biden made the pledge nearly a year ago at the US-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, where he convened delegations from 49 nations for the first time in eight years. At the summit, Mr Biden said the United States was “all in on Africa’s future” and made a series of promises about how he would show its commitment, including telling leaders he “looks forward to seeing many of you in your countries of origin”.
On Thursday, Mr. Biden appeared to be trying to resume that commitment at a critical time. The United States lags behind major countries such as Russia and China in the race for influence on the continent, which has become an increasingly important sphere of global competition, with the world’s fastest-growing, youngest population.
Mr Biden said the meeting in the Oval Office, the first he has hosted with an African leader since the summit, came at a “historic moment”. He went on to hold up Angola as an example of how his government has delivered on its promise to invest in the continent.
The United States is helping finance a $1 billion rail project for Angola’s Lobito Corridor, which will connect Angola to mineral-rich parts of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
On Thursday, Mr. Biden called the project “the largest US rail investment in Africa” and said it would “create jobs and connect markets for generations to come.” It is also a project in which the United States, dependent on rare earth minerals, has a significant vested interest.
Mr. Biden said the United States is also investing another $1 billion in Africa “for a number of things,” including solar energy projects.
“Simply put, a partnership between Angola and America is more important and more important,” Mr. Biden said in remarks during the meeting.
He also reiterated his commitment to visit the continent, saying he would return to Angola, the home to the first enslaved Blacks brought to the United States in 1619 and a country he traveled to before becoming president, though he didn’t say when.
Mr. Lourenço, who had previously visited the United States as Angola’s defense minister, told reporters after the meeting that “it was better than I expected.”
“Our relationship is at a high level,” he said. “There is a total openness from the US government and Angola will win with it. Not only Angola, but the continent.”
However, the United States’ arch-rivals are not standing still. This year, President Xi Jinping of China visited the continentand President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia held its own summit with leaders. The United States maintained that its interest in Africa was not motivated by competition with other nations.
During Mr. Biden’s tenure, 16 administration officials, including Vice President Kamala Harris, First Lady Jill Biden, and Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken, have visited the continent.
During a September visit to Angola, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III he repeated that “Africa matters”.
“I’m here because Africa matters,” Mr. Austin said. “It has great significance for the shape of the 21st century world. And it matters for our common prosperity and our common security.”
But Cameron Hudson, senior fellow in the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the Biden administration should not underestimate the symbolic importance of the promise the president made last year.
“I guess the question is how many cabinet secretaries on the continent equal a president picking up the phone, or a president hosting an African head of state, or a president traveling the continent?” said Mr. Hudson.
“I think the feeling within the African community is that the reality falls far short of the rhetoric,” he said. “The rhetoric was high at the summit of African leaders last year and the reality is somewhere much closer to Earth.”