U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said on Sunday that the United States will increase investment in Africa and help spur economic growth as she began a week-long tour of the continent aimed at offering a counter to the influence of rival China.
The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has sought to strengthen ties with Africa, in part to offer an alternative to rival powers.
The US learned that China has invested heavily in Africa in recent decades, including in infrastructure and resource development, while Russian influence has also grown, including through the deployment of troops from Russia’s private military contractor Wagner Group to aid governments in several countries.
Harris will also discuss China’s engagement in technology and economic issues in Africa that concern the United States, as well as China’s involvement in debt restructuring, senior U.S. officials said last week.
Harris will be in Ghana from March 26-29, then in Tanzania from March 29-31. Her final stop is Zambia, on March 31 and April 1. She will meet with the three countries’ presidents and plans to announce public- and private-sector investments.