US Secretary of State Antony Blinken gave a major speech on US Africa policy in Abuja, Nigeria on 19 November 2021.
He identified the main pillars of the Biden administration policy on Africa. The speech made no direct mention of China, a significant break from the Trump administration, although it did warn of opaque infrastructure deals and the rise of authoritarianism around the world.
Blinken said explicitly the United States does not want Africa to limit its partnership with other countries. It just wants to make partnerships with the United States even stronger. Washington does not want to make Africa choose partners, but rather to give Africa choices.
The Washington Post covered the speech on 19 November 2021 in an article titled "Blinken Lays Out U.S. Policy toward Africa and Deliberately Avoids Mentioning China" by John Hudson.
The New York Times covered the speech on 19 November 2021 in an article titled "China's Influence Looms Over Blinken's Africa Visit" by Michael Crowley.
