Biden Admin To Avoid China Discussions At Africa Summit

Foreign Policy has reported that, "China hardly factors into the agenda, if at all," for the upcoming US-Africa leaders summit which begins on December 13.

• A White House official said to FP: “Our goal is not to center our conversation on competition or rivalry with these other countries; that’s not the best way to advance U.S. interests and our shared goals with Africans."
• US NSC advisor, Dana Banks said, “We aim to amplify African voices to collaboratively meet this era’s defining challenges... while we leverage the best of America... to uplift and empower African institutions, citizens, and nations.”
• African leaders have expressed concern that President Biden may decline to meet any leaders one-on-one at the summit.
• Politico: “While such meetings could be organized in the coming days, including in less formal chats known as “pull-asides,” the lack of concrete plans stands in stark contrast to how the Biden administration has put together other gatherings... It also could lead African leaders traveling thousands of miles to further conclude that the United States doesn’t care about their countries as much as China does — and that it prefers to treat them as a bloc instead of individual governments.”