Biden arrives in Angola for historic Africa visit
The president intends to strengthen U.S. ties with Africa and counter China's dominance in the region


What happened
President Joe Biden arrived in Angola Monday for a three-day visit aimed at strengthening U.S. ties with Africa and countering China's dominance in the region. Biden is the first sitting U.S. president to visit Angola and the first to travel to sub-Saharan Africa since 2015. He promised to visit the region last year, but the trip was delayed, reinforcing "sentiment among some Africans that their continent is still low priority for Washington," The Associated Press said.
Who said what
Biden is meeting with Angolan President João Lourenco in Luanda today and speaking at the capital's National Museum of Slavery, but his visit to the country will "focus largely on the Lobito Corridor railway redevelopment," the AP said. The U.S.-funded regional rail project aims to move copper, cobalt and lithium — critical minerals for electric vehicles, clean energy and microchips — from mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo to Western markets through the Angolan port of Lobito.
China, the "top player" in Congo, lost out to the U.S. in the Lobito Corridor project but signed an agreement in September to revive a "rival railway" to Africa's eastern coast, Reuters said. The U.S. is concerned about Beijing's "dominance of the global supply chain for minerals," The Washington Post said, but Biden's team was "reluctant to publicly frame" Washington's interest in southern Africa "as motivated solely by its larger competition with China."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
Biden will visit Lobito to see the rail project and end what's likely his final foreign trip as president at a summit Wednesday with leaders from Congo, Tanzania and Zambia.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Music reviews: Bon Iver, Valerie June, and The Waterboys
Feature "Sable, Fable," "Owls, Omens, and Oracles," "Life, Death, and Dennis Hopper"
By The Week US
-
Are bonds worth investing in?
the explainer They can diversify your portfolio and tend to be a safer investment than stocks
By Becca Stanek, The Week US
-
Elon has his 'Legion.' How will Republicans encourage other Americans to have babies?
Today's Big Question The pronatalist movement finds itself in power
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
'Congress could help by providing federal protections'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Musk vows DOGE pullback as Tesla profits plunge
Speed Read The Tesla SEO says he will soon step back from government matters to devote more time to the company
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
IMF sees slump from tariffs, Trump tries to calm markets
Speed Read The International Monetary Fund predicts the U.S. and global economies will slow significantly due to the president's trade war
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump stands by Hegseth amid ouster reports
Speed Read The president dismissed reports that he was on the verge of firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a second national security breach
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Trade war with China threatens U.S. economy
Feature Trump's tariff battle with China is hitting U.S. businesses hard and raising fears of a global recession
By The Week US
-
How 'China shock 2.0' will roil global markets
Feature An overflow of Chinese goods is flooding the global market. Tariffs won’t stop it.
By The Week US
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group text
Speed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
By Peter Weber, The Week US