As the United States contends with domestic political gridlock and a stalled African trade initiative, Washington is refocusing its attention on Africa in a renewed effort to counter China’s deepening dominance across the continent, from the copper belt to the Indian Ocean.
This week, senior American policymakers, think tanks, and business leaders are holding a series of high-level meetings aimed at reshaping the US strategy toward Africa, amid growing concern that Beijing is rapidly surpassing Washington in investment and influence.
On Tuesday, October 7, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing titled “Combatting the People’s Republic of China’s illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific.”
Although the hearing’s main focus is Asia, discussions are expected to extend to Africa’s eastern coast, where China’s influence has grown significantly.
From Djibouti to Madagascar, Beijing’s heavy investments in ports, logistics, and energy have reinforced its maritime presence, an expansion that has raised alarms in Washington.
“China has been a major investor in infrastructure and energy projects, funding and operating ports all along the coast,” the committee stated, noting that China’s first-ever overseas naval base, established in Djibouti in 2017, remains a strategic concern.
According to The Africa Report, nearly one-quarter of African nations, among them Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa, border the Indian Ocean.
The United States considers this corridor crucial for trade and regional security, particularly as China’s involvement near key maritime chokepoints such as the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Mozambique Channel continues to grow.
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In a subtle but notable shift, Washington is also working more closely with the private sector.
The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) has announced that its 2026 US-Africa Business Summit will be held in Mauritius, the first time the summit will take place on an Indian Ocean island nation.
Mauritius notably stands out as one of the few African countries not participating in China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Beyond maritime strategy, Washington’s renewed attention is turning toward Africa’s rich mineral resources.
On Wednesday, October 8, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and West Point’s Centre for the Study of Civil-Military Operations will convene the second annual Critical Minerals and National Security Conference.
A highlight of the event will be a session titled “A new era of minerals diplomacy,” featuring Tom Haslett, Director of Critical Minerals and Energy Policy at the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).
Haslett is expected to outline how the US intends to challenge China’s dominance in Africa’s cobalt, lithium, and copper sectors, resources essential to global energy and technology supply chains.
The week’s series of events will conclude with a keynote address by International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva at the Milken Centre for Advancing the American Dream in Washington, serving as a prelude to the 2025 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings.
For many observers across Africa, this surge of US activity signals that Washington is rediscovering the continent, but largely through the prism of strategic rivalry with China.
Whether this renewed engagement evolves into genuine partnerships or remains confined to geopolitical competition will depend on how much agency Africa is given in defining the terms of this new relationship.
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Image Credit: The New York times
