The Biden Administration hosted 49 African leaders for a three-day summit in Washington D.C. that began on Dec. 13. President Joe Biden told the delegates that America “is all in on Africa’s future,” signaling a renewed interest in Africa as the United States competes with China across the continent.

It has been eight years since former President Barack Obama organized the first U.S.-Africa summit. The three-day gathering in the nation’s capital was the largest event that any U.S. president held with African leaders.

Obama’s forum facilitated business deals between American companies and African leaders, as well as creating opportunities for U.S. officials to promote security and human rights with their African counterparts, The Washington Post reported in 2014. The summit ended with hope that future U.S. administrations would build on what the Obama White House started.

The Trump administration announced an Africa policy aimed at promoting economic growth and persuading African leaders to choose partnerships with the United States over China.

But while the administration continued Obama’s policy direction, former President Donald Trump showed little interest in the continent. In 2018, Trump infamously referred to Haiti and African nations as “[expletive] countries” in an Oval Office conversation with lawmakers about immigration.

Biden has renewed America’s interest in Africa. This week, he announced billions of dollars in support and investment across the continent.

“And the United States is committed to supporting every aspect — every aspect of Africa’s inclusive growth and creating the best possible environment for sustained commercial engagement between Africa companies and American companies,” Biden told African dignitaries Wednesday (Dec. 14) at the summit.

“The United States is all in on Africa’s future.  And the work we’ve done over the past two years, building on decades of vital investments made under previous American presidents, has helped make possible the critical steps that I’m about to announce.”

Three takeaways from the summit

1. Investment in Africa’s youth

On the first day of the summit, Vice President Kamala Harris highlighted the continent’s youthfulness and potential for dynamism. She noted that 60 percent of Africa’s population is under age 25, amounting to nearly 850 million young people. By 2050, that figure will grow to 1.2 billion young people.

“Africa is the oldest inhabited continent in the world, and it is home to the youngest population in the world. So, Africa cannot help but be in the future business. I strongly believe that the creativity and ingenuity of Africa’s young leaders will help us shape the future of the world, and that their ideas — your ideas — and innovations and initiatives will benefit the entire world,” Harris told the audience at the young leaders forum.

“The Biden-Harris administration intends to be right there alongside you, these young leaders, knowing it is the spark and determination of young people that will drive and move us forward,” Harris continued.

In her speech, the vice president announced that the administration will invest an additional $100 million to expand the Young African Leaders Initiative, which the U.S. government launched in 2010 to support the work of young African leaders toward economic growth, democracy and peace. The new funding would “expand networking for alumni and connect them with social impact and business investors.”

1. U.S.’s China problem in Africa

During the summit, Biden administration officials made every effort to avoid mentioning China, The New York Times reported. The administration didn’t want African leaders to think that America’s real interest in Africa is to compete with China, which has already invested billions across the continent. U.S. officials also didn’t want Africans, who suffered generations of European colonialism and oppression, to perceive U.S. motives as another attempt to exploit them.

The United States is playing catch-up with China. Reuters reported that in 2012 China-Africa trade amounted to $254 billion, compared to $63.3 billion in trade between Africa and the United States.

At the same time, China has been accused of creating debt traps with poor African countries, which Beijing has denied. Critics say that China lends money for infrastructure projects to countries that it knows can’t repay the debt for political and economic leverage.

With China trying to build on its military foothold in Africa, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the presidents of Djibouti, Niger, Somalia and Angola.

Djibouti is home to a major U.S. military base, Camp Lemonnier, as well as a Chinese military facility. Pentagon officials are concerned about China’s ambition to build naval stations in West Africa, particularly Equatorial Guinea.

"The first thing that we always want to do from a department standpoint is develop the right relationships that will be conducive to promoting stability and security. And as we develop those relationships, we want to listen," said Austin who hosted the Peace, Security and Governance Forum Tuesday (Dec. 13) at the summit.

"We want to listen to what's important to the leaders in the region and the specific countries. And we want to understand what's really important to you," he continued.

1. Big economic commitments

Biden backed up his vow to be “all in on Africa’s future” with several economic commitments that include a promise of over $15 billion in two-way trade and investment at the summit’s business forum on Wednesday (Dec. 14). The deals and partnerships will advance key priorities, including sustainable energy, health systems, agribusiness, digital connectivity, infrastructure, and finance.

The administration also announced a memorandum of agreement with the African Continental Free Trade Area to expand trade. It will give American companies access to 1.3 billion people and a market valued at $3.4 trillion.