Trump Expected to Renew Focus on China in Africa But Experts Say It Will Tougher Today Than It Was the First Time

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a reception at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) after being named TIME's "Person of the Year" for the second time on December 12, 2024 in New York City. SPENCER PLATT / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA via AFP

The foreign policy and national security teams that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated are far more hawkish towards China than his previous administration was, prompting speculation by leading experts that Washington’s approach to Africa will focus primarily on countering Beijing’s influence on the continent.

But in a series of analyses published over the past several days, prominent scholars from Africa and Asia caution that the international geopolitical environment is a lot different today than it was when Trump was last in office and that it’s going to be a lot more difficult for the U.S. to challenge China in Africa:

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by Eric Olander

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