US Intensifies Rivalry with China in Africa Through Ambassadors' Business Deal Tracking

The US State Department has launched new performance metrics for American ambassadors in Africa, assessing their effectiveness through the volume of business agreements they establish, reflecting the government's fresh “trade, not aid” paradigm. In the inaugural 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term, 33 contracts valued at $6 billion were finalized throughout the continent, remarked Troy Fitrell, a senior official from the Bureau of African Affairs, during last month’s bureau launch. The revamped commercial diplomacy initiative emphasizes regions where American enterprises are eager to invest and where statistics indicate potential growth. Alongside transforming USAID’s mission, which historically addressed health crises like HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, the administration has enacted trade tariffs and initiated steps to dismantle the Millennium Challenge Corporation, which has committed over $10 billion to 24 African nations since its inception. Trump is also set to host the upcoming US-Africa Leaders Summit later this year.