U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo renewed his attacks on China’s presence in Africa last week, triggering a full-throated rebuttal from Beijing in what’s now become an almost routine back-and-forth between these two rival powers.
The feud between these two countries is becoming increasingly bitter as they struggle for dominance in a growing number of arenas. China’s control of the South China Sea, emerging 5G standards, influence in global bodies like the UN, and, yes, Africa as well, are among the battle spaces for what’s commonly framed as the new era of great power competition.