On Wednesday, US President Biden arrived in the port city of Lobito in Angola, marking the last day of his Africa trip. He lavishly praised the Lobito Corridor railway, which is seen as a response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Africa. The US and its allies are heavily investing in renovating the 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) railway connecting Zambia, Congo, and Angola.
Biden, being the first US president to visit Angola, highlighted the significance of the Lobito Corridor, calling it the largest US foreign railway project with a $600 million new investment announcement. During his time as a senator, Biden had a 36-year commute on the Amtrak train from Delaware to Washington, earning him the nickname “Amtrak Joe.”
In a meeting with Angolan President João Lourenço, Biden pledged to maintain lasting engagement with Africa in its own way. This trip fulfills his promise to visit Africa as president, although it comes just weeks before the end of his term.
Flying from the capital Luanda to Lobito on the West African coast, Biden toured port facilities related to the corridor with Presidents Lourenço, Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, Félix Tshisekedi of Congo, and Vice President Philip Mpango of Tanzania.
In Lobito, Biden announced a $600 million new investment for projects related to the corridor, backed by the EU, G7, Western-led private funds, and the African Bank. The US has already provided $550 million in loans for the project’s first phase, renovating the existing railway and extending it to Congo’s mining hub without a disclosed completion date.
The envisioned second phase of the project aims to extend the Lobito Corridor through Tanzania, with feasibility studies funded by the US. Currently, shipping goods from East Congo or Zambia to markets takes about 45 days, mainly by trucks to South Africa, whereas a test cargo transport through the new railway corridor completes the journey in around 40 to 50 hours.
Despite Biden’s repeated commitment to “strongly support Africa,” US influence in the region has waned during his tenure. The US lost a military base in the Sahel region and made limited progress in breaking China’s control over critical minerals.
Angola, historically close to China and Russia, has recently sought closer ties with the West. President Lourenço expressed Angola’s desire to broaden cooperation with the US in security and military initiatives during Biden’s visit.
Meanwhile, China has heavily invested in mining and processing minerals in Africa, leveraging its Belt and Road infrastructure to enhance global economic and political influence. In September, China signed agreements with Tanzania and Zambia to rebuild a railway extending from Zambia to Dar es Salaam on the Tanzanian coast, seen as a response to the Lobito Corridor.
A senior US government official stated that the Lobito Corridor is at the core of competition with China, emphasizing that the rivalry is commercial rather than political confrontation. Instead of solely providing aid, Washington aims to strengthen US influence in Africa by promoting investment-attracting projects to benefit African communities and nations in the long run, with the Lobito Corridor serving as a successful model for replication in other regions.
Following Trump’s inauguration as president in January, Washington is expected to take a tougher stance against China, raising concerns among officials about the US’s continued support for this railway project.
（This article referenced reports from the Associated Press and Reuters）