CNN: Trump Holds Summit with Five African Countries to Counter China's Influence, but Excludes Major Economies
CNN reported on July 9 that U.S. former President Trump held a special summit at the White House this week with leaders of five African countries - Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal - aimed at promoting business cooperation to counter China's growing influence in Africa. However, it is worth noting that the top three African economies, Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt, were not invited to attend the summit; these three countries are members of the BRICS group. Christopher Afok Iyeku, professor of African politics and international relations at Pretoria University, said: "The Trump administration clearly avoided major African powers with close ties to China, instead choosing smaller economies that are easier to make deals with." Data shows that China has remained the largest trading partner of Africa for 15 consecutive years, with Sino-African trade reaching $282 billion in 2023, far exceeding U.S.-African trade. The summit focused on mineral cooperation and security issues, with Trump particularly emphasizing that the new peace agreements signed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda would provide opportunities for American companies to access key mineral resources such as cobalt and lithium. At the same time, the U.S. government is implementing new trade restrictions on multiple African countries; South Africa will face an additional 10% tariff starting August 1 due to its membership in the BRICS group. Analysts point out that this approach of excluding major economies while imposing trade pressures may backfire, further pushing African countries closer to China.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1837172927863808/
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