The New Scramble for Africa: A Competition for Influence and Race for Resources

In this installment of “Countering Chinese Communist Party Influence Around the World,” leading experts discuss China’s growing influence in Africa. Vandenberg Coalition Executive Director Carrie Filipetti speaks with Vandenberg Coalition Advisory Board Members Amb. J. Peter Pham, former U.S. Special Envoy for the Sahel Region and for the Great Lakes Region of Africa, and Aleksandra Gadzala Tirziu, a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council.

In this series, the Vandenberg Coalition shifts the focus beyond the Indo-Pacific and into various regions around the world where the Chinese Communist Party continues to threaten American interests. Each episode in the series discusses China’s growing influence in a given region, how it measures against American influence, how to define our relationship with the region in light of competing priorities, and what America can and should be doing to better protect and advance our national interests. 

00:00:01 Opening by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

00:02:09 Geopolitical implications of Africa’s economic, political, & population growth

00:04:45 Beijing’s strategic aims in Africa

00:10:37 Absence of comprehensive U.S. strategy towards Africa

00:12:07 Africa’s evolving view of China

00:17:30 Examples of African nations leveraging in negotiations with China

00:22:30 African youth favorability towards the United States

00:31:00 American diplomatic failings in engagement with Africa

00:37:07 Prevalence of BRI in Africa & potential for American “strategic corridors”

00:42:58 CCP “Debt-trap diplomacy” & avenues for U.S. alternatives to Chinese financing

00:48:44 China’s strategic weaponization of Africa’s critical minerals

00:53:58 Opportunities for U.S. engagement in African mining industries

00:58:16 Steps for U.S. engagement in Africa

01:01:37 Closing by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti