Leaders from China and Africa flocked to Beijing last week for the ninth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Established in 2000 and held every three years, the forum now encompasses 53 nations and is China’s largest diplomatic event. For the United States, too, it is a reminder of Beijing’s growing global clout, particularly in Africa and the broader Global South — a sphere for which Washington seems to lack a coherent strategy.
Such neglect is troubling. When it comes to Africa, not only is China the continent’s largest trading partner, top creditor, and a key source of infrastructure investment, but it has also begun to emerge as a lead guarantor of regional security. In the absence of a sound U.S.-Africa policy, such a shift threatens U.S. interests in Africa, the neighboring Middle East, and along critical maritime routes. For Beijing, Africa is a key node in its plan for a new global security order, crafted for its “national rejuvenation”
