Tillerson’s trip will not harm China’s relations with Africa

Ahead of his first official visit to Sub-Saharan Africa, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confessed that the continent’s rapid economic growth and fast-rising population mean the United States views Africa’s future as “increasingly linked” to its own. Which is no doubt why he felt the need to issue a warning to the host countries about China’s growing political and economic influence on the continent, something he also did last month before his visit to Latin America.

While partnerships with his country promote “good governance”, those with China “encourage dependency”, he said. In his words, Beijing is entrapping African governments with “opaque contracts, predatory loan practices, and corrupt deals that mire nations in debt”.

Yet Tillerson’s conversations with his African hosts may not be as agreeable as he seems to believe. Besides dealing with the ill feelings that US President Donald Trump provoked with his derogatory reference to African countries in January, Tillerson will have to convince his hosts of the good his government can do and convince them of the harm he alleges China is doing.

Trump’s disrespect aside, Tillerson will have a difficult time demonstrating his government’s claim of commitment to African development. Eight US embassies in Africa, including those in South Africa and Egypt, have no ambassadors. Tillerson himself just submitted a 2019 budget request that cuts US health programs in Africa by one-fifth and diplomatic programs by more than a third. That does not indicate the US’ closer engagement is in the interests of African countries, rather the opposite. His announcement of $533 million in humanitarian assistance to “fight famine and food insecurity” in Somalia, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Lake Chad Basin, merely highlights how the region is being factored into the US’ security and economic growth strategies.

As to Tillerson’s accusations against China, the Tuesday testimony of General Thomas Waldhauser, head of US Africa Command, offers an effective rebuttal.

The Chinese presence in Djibouti is welcomed by locals, he told US lawmakers: “The Chinese are building facilities, they are building a shopping mall, they built a soccer stadium, they have built the infrastructure for communications.” China even brought a hospital ship off Djibouti to provide basic care for local people.

China has long shown its support to Africa, and this has been warmly acknowledged by African countries.