VP Harris' Africa Trip Aims to Counter China's Influence.

Vice President Kamala Harris embarks on a six-day trip to Africa, becoming the first Black woman US vice president to visit the continent. The trip aims to deepen relationships and build on themes of African innovation and technology, regional security, food security, women empowerment, climate, and democracy. Harris hopes to convey the US' sincerity of its long-term commitment to the region and its promise of economic opportunity. The trip comes amid US-China competition for influence in Africa, and Harris will have to balance the need to counter rival investments with avoiding framing African nations as pawns in the United States' larger geopolitical strategy.