Washington DC, [US], December 2 : US President Joe Biden is all set to visit Angola and spotlight the Lobito Corridor project in Angola to counter China's Belt and Road Initiative, VOA reported.
The Voice of America reported that when Biden visits Angola on Wednesday, he will focus on a major infrastructure project designed to improve supply chains in Africa. This project called the Lobito Corridor, is a key part of his plan to reduce China's influence in global development.
The Lobito Corridor is a USD 5 billion investment that will improve and extend the 1,300-kilometer Benguela railway. This railway will connect Lobito, a port on the Atlantic Ocean in Angola, to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and in the second phase, it will reach Zambia.
The project was announced in September 2023 and is funded by the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI), a group led by the US and other wealthy countries. It evolved from Biden's earlier plan, Build Back Better World, created to counter China's Belt and Road Initiative, as reported by the VOA.
Once finished, the Lobito Corridor will make it easier to transport important minerals like cobalt and copper, which are used to make electric vehicles. A report from the U.S. Congress shows that China controls most of the mining of these minerals in the DRC, with 80 per cent of copper mines and 85 per cent of rare earth minerals under Chinese ownership. Helaina Matza, acting special coordinator for the PGI at the US Department of State, mentioned that the project will also include efforts to develop solar energy, local electricity systems, and desalination projects.
The project is supported by Angola's President, Joao Lourenco. Angola owes China about USD 17 billion, which is more than a third of its total debt, as reported by the VOA.
President Biden will be the first sitting US president to visit Angola. This trip fulfils a long-standing commitment he made to visit sub-Saharan Africa during his time in office, as his presidency approaches its conclusion.
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