Illustration: Liu Rui/Global Times

According to reports, US President Donald Trump met with the leaders of Liberia, Senegal, Gabon, Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau on Wednesday, saying that the US approach to the continent was shifting from aid to trade and that the US is a better partner for Africa than China. This high-profile move contrasts sharply with Washington's earlier indifference toward the continent; however, this pivot is merely "old wine in a new bottle," exposing the fact that the US still treats Africa as a resource hub and a chessboard for geopolitical rivalry. 

The US government's shift "from aid to trade" has become a public focal point. Earlier this month, its decision to dissolve the US Agency for International Development (USAID) drew widespread condemnation as a severe blow to Africa's fragile economic and political stability. According to the Associated Press, Washington claimed it was abandoning a "charity-based foreign aid model" to instead pursue partnerships with nations demonstrating "both the ability and willingness to help themselves." At first glance, the new policy seems to support or resonate with African aspirations for economic autonomy, but in essence it fundamentally serves America's own strategic interests.

The New York Times incisively pointed out that the US government was "aiming to strike deals to expand the US' access to critical minerals and to counter China's rising influence in Africa." Africa is rich in lithium, cobalt, rare earths, and other key minerals essential for industries like new energy and semiconductors - precisely what makes it strategically attractive to the US. It was reported that the African leaders appeared to have gone to the White House well aware of US priorities. 

Song Wei, a professor at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times that the so-called trade-oriented US-Africa "partnership" is fundamentally about demanding that Africa serve US interests. The closure of USAID has increased Africa's external debt risk and deepened its development predicament. If shutting down USAID exposed America's utilitarian approach to aid, then this policy shift from aid to trade is essentially using economic cooperation as bait to cloak continued exploitation of Africa's resources, Song noted. 

For too long, Africa has been placed at the "bottom tier" of America's global strategy. The current surge of "enthusiasm" is nothing more than a result of intensifying China-US rivalry.  The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative, based on the principles of "consultation, contribution, and shared benefits," have contributed to deepening bilateral cooperation, improving livelihoods and bolstering economic autonomy in African countries through projects like railways, ports and hospitals. China has consistently adhered to a policy of non-interference, respecting Africa's sovereign development choices, and earning widespread trust on the continent. However, this has caused US anxieties, leading it to adjust its strategy in an attempt to "win over" select African nations for resources and political backing. 

China welcomes genuine efforts by the US and other countries to support Africa's development, as the continent's prosperity and stability serve global interests. However, a true partnership must be built on mutual respect and equal benefits. Africa's future should not be a chessboard for great power competition, but rather a place where cooperation and shared success can occur.

The US government asserts that it is "a better partner for Africa than China," yet this claim stands in stark contrast to its longstanding neglect and instrumental approach toward the continent. Washington's "America First" and erratic policies have cultivated deep mistrust among African nations. Treating Africa as a "resource reservoir" or a pawn in geopolitical maneuvering directly contradicts Africa's aspirations for autonomous development and equitable cooperation. Although the US has attempted to project an image of being a "better partner than China," international opinion remains skeptical about its prospects. After all, the deeply ingrained approach of "wooing when needed, abandoning when not" and "burning others to give themselves light" makes it challenging for the US to genuinely earn Africa's trust.