Biden Hosts Angola's President, Pledges $1 Billion for Infrastructure

The meeting underscores U.S. efforts to strengthen ties with Africa and counter Chinese and Russian influence on the continent.

President Biden hosted President João Lourenço of Angola at the White House, promoting a major U.S. investment in the country as he tries to revitalize relations with African nations.
The United States is helping to finance a $1 billion rail project for Angola’s Lobito Corridor, which would link Angola with mineral-rich parts of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
President Biden reiterated his pledge to visit the continent, saying that he would return to Angola, a country he traveled to before he was president.
Angola has moved to position itself as a strategic partner to the United States and has shifted away from Russian and Chinese influence under Lourenço’s tenure.
The meeting comes as Biden appears set to break his commitment to African leaders to visit the continent this year — though senior U.S. officials have made key trips to Africa throughout 2023.