The United States is Africa’s best partner, not China or Russia, said U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo during an interview with CNN in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
Raimondo emphasized that the United States regards itself as Africa’s top partner, asserting that they do not impose any conditions on the relationship and will not force African nations to sever ties with China and Russia.
“We believe we are the best partner because the opportunities we offer align with African values of freedom and democracy, and we hope to become your collaborators,” Raimondo stated.
This marks her first official visit to Africa. After meeting with Kenyan President William Ruto, she participated in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Summit and sat down for an interview with CNN.
Kenya maintains strong ties with Beijing, similar to many other African countries. The Chinese Communist Party has financing and major infrastructure projects across the entire African continent.
Russia is also expanding its presence in Africa, profiting from arms sales and natural resources by capitalizing on anti-Western sentiments in some countries.
When asked whether African nations prefer dealing with China and Russia, which do not lecture them on democracy and human rights as the U.S. and EU do, Raimondo responded by emphasizing that the U.S. engagement with Africa is “without any conditions” and highlighted her efforts to bring over a dozen companies to participate in the Nairobi summit.
“I just had a meeting with President Ruto, and it was fantastic. I told him: ‘We are not here to lecture, we are here to cooperate, to learn from you, to invest in your people and your country.'” she said.