Confronting the China Challenge in Africa: The Lobito Corridor
The Lobito Corridor project in Africa is a significant infrastructure initiative aimed at creating a vital trade route.
It seeks to connect the mineral-rich Democratic Republic of the Congo (“DRC”) and Zambia to Angola’s Atlantic coast port city of Lobito.
This project holds particular interest for some Western nations, potentially serving as a counterpoint to China’s expansive Belt and Road Initiative (“BRI”).
China remains a dominant economic force in Africa, having invested $1.8 billion in the first half of 2023 alone, marking a year-on-year increase of 4.4 percent.
Chinese investments significantly contribute to infrastructure advancement in Africa, with China-funded and -led projects valued at over $400 billion having been concluded.
China’s bilateral trade with Africa reached $282 billion in 2022, solidifying its role as Africa’s largest trade partner for the fourteenth consecutive year.
According to the author of this article recently published by CEPA’s Bandwidth, some African nations are reevaluating their contracts with Chinese firms due to concerns over project quality and transparency.
The Lobito Corridor offers an alternative and represents the first major US-backed initiative to counter China’s BRI and its first significant investment in African rail development in recent years.
SOURCE:lobitocorridor.org
