U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is on a nine-day tour of Africa that includes stops in Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia. But while Harris has strenuously avoided making references to Washington’s rivals, the growing competition for influence in Africa between the U.S. and China nonetheless loomed large during Harris’ tour.
Many observers believed that the United States’ efforts to reorient its strategic focus to the Indo-Pacific region amid China’s resurgence had hit a snag when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. But for now, Washington may actually be accelerating its long-sought rebalance, recalibrating the center of gravity of U.S. foreign policy.
The recent launch of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies, or iCET, by India and the U.S. is a function of the changing balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and beyond, reflecting both sides’ concerns over China’s emergence as a regional and global power. But the direction and end goals of the partnership remain unclear.