JOHANNESBURG: The US is considering partnering with China on improving electricity in Africa and the proposal could be part of bilateral discussions when US President Barack Obama visits Beijing next week, two sources said.
The proposal could include $5bn-$7bn of commitments to improve electricity generation and transmission in several African countries, one source involved in the initiative said.
“Plans have been discussed and outline ideas drawn up but there are understandably nerves given the delicate relationship with China,” one of the sources said.
The 48 countries of sub-Saharan Africa, with a combined population of 800 million, produce roughly the same amount of power as Spain, a country of just 46 million.
The shortage imposes a massive burden on economies in the continent, constraining growth and leading to hundreds of millions of people remaining mired in poverty.
US collaboration with China would mark a significant shift in diplomacy between Washington and Beijing after long-running disputes over foreign policy, security, espionage and alleged human rights abuses.
Obama is due to arrive in Beijing today to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit and is expected to meet China’s President Xi Jinping for dinner tomorrow and again for more formal talks on Wednesday.
“We are working on a whole variety of outcomes in which the United States and China would be cooperating in very practical and tangible ways, but we’ve got to wait for the President to announce them,” a senior US official said when asked about Africa power collaboration.
Reuters
