abandoned the popular cause that brought me here. ♪ >> let's get around up of the top stories now on al jazeera. croatia was no match for argentina, losing 3-0. messi opened his scoring from the penalty spot. they will play france -- for the first time researchers have produced more energy and a

nuclear fusion experiments than was used to ignite it. a court in the bahamas has denied bail to sam bankman-fried who will be kept into tension -- will be kept in detention after he was declared a flight risk. he faces several charges in the u.s.. 180 people have been killed in flooding in kinshasa the capital of the democratic republic of congo. >> to our authorities who are going to say this, we are congolese, we have lived here a very long time and now warehouses are washed away. i don't know where to go with the children, i have been a widow since 2015, and now one of my children is gone with the rain, i don't know where he is. i've lost everything even my clothes. >> president biden is combating

the chinese and russian influence in africa, he has invited african leaders to ace -- to a summit. he is also expected to invite leaders to become a permanent member of g20. castillo in peru arrested last week after attempting a coup. seven people including teenagers have been killed in the ensuing protests. here's al jazeera inside story. ♪

laura: u.s. president joe biden is hosting a three-day summit with african leaders this comes as china invests heavily, and russia is involved in regional conflict. what does the u.s. hoped to achieve? this is inside story. ♪ laura: hello and warm welcome to the program i am laura kyle. u.s. president joe biden has invited 49 presidents -- heads of state and leaders in the african region to d.c.. china has been expanding its

influence on the continent, it invests in infrastructure projects and loans. russia has also been involved on the humanitarian front end is unofficially involved in many conflicts. in the region. >> when american president hosted african leaders at the first u.s. african summit in 2014, many believed it was a good chance to strengthen ties with the continent and reaffirm political commitments. in the end, business talks soon turned to just a photo opportunity. john deere, which manufactures among other things agricultural equipment, team members are more hopeful about the second summit.

>> the benefits that are currently being delivered in africa, and most importantly, let us highlight the challenges to our african leaders that people on the ground, customers, farmers, are currently facing. the big question now, can -- how much can three days of meetings accomplish? south africa is america's biggest trade partner on the continent. economists are optimistic about strengthening that relationship and they say that the market is ready for more trade with the u.s. but south africa will have to tread carefully. next, turning to china and to a lesser degree russia at a time of great geopolitical tensions between those countries and the u.s.. the emerging economies of brazil, and south africa, would

not want to alienate beijing or moscow as they seek warmer ties with washington. during this summit, china will most definitely be the elephant in the room. >> china has meant -- has made many inroads in africa. >> china is africa's largest to a trading partner. in 2021, that value of trade hit 224 billion dollars. and while u.s. president joe biden is concerned about china's growing footprint in africa. officials continue to insist that african masons -- african nations will not be forced to choose sides. >> the right to make these traces belong to africans -- choices belong to africans and africans alone.

>> in elgin -- in johannesburg, al jazeera. >> data from beijing shows goods worth $254 billion were exchanged with african countries last year, four times the value of u.s. trade with the continent which amounted to $65 billion in 2021 according to the u.s. census bureau. china is by far the biggest investor in africa followed by the u.s., france, and czechia. let's bring in our guests now in london, onyekachi wambu, a columnist at the new african magazine. david shinn. and einar tangen, founder of

asian narratives. let's start in washington dc where that summit will get underway shortly, what does the u.s. hope to achieve from this conference. >> we want to reassert in africa, to find ways that we can increase of foreign and direct investments and trade with africa. to do some new things that haven't been done to a great deal in the past, for example, putting a greater emphasis on the african diaspora in the united states. they are becoming significant communities. with some members being elected to various positions in the u.s. government. to engage in a discussion on

cooperation and space which is relatively new for the united states. to look at the question of climate change and what the united states can do there. there is a wide variety of topics that the u.s. has in mind a lot of it will be dictated by the role of private sectors in the united states. particularly in the trade and foreign investment area. laura: each country will of course have their wish list, but broadly speaking to these topics bring threw two the leaders of the african nations as well as that what they are hoping to get from the summit? >> i think it has always been clear that africans are interested in africa -- that the africans are interested in infrastructure.

that is where they focus their trade with china and the last 50 and 60 years. that is where they would want to engage with. what they have had over the last word he or 40 years from the u.s. is generally structural adjustment, the nature of human rights and governance. the kind of infrastructure that they've been asking for. and a lot of focus sends 9/11 on security. bases, the fight against fundamentalists, but not on that development agenda, the kind that actually creates jobs that

transforms economies and creates the conditions where young people are not being seduced by some of these underground forces. i think that's what the africans went to hear. and they have not been hearing that very much from the u.s. over the last 30 or 40 years. it has been very much -- mood music that they been hearing from china. laura: do you think that that's what president biden is aware of , david, the change of tone at the summit? david: in terms of american investment in china -- in africa, it is true that is difficult -- it is different from what china offers which is primarily loans which need to be paid back. the united states is by and large out of the loan business.

it's businesses primarily in the form of grants. in the last year alone, the united states offered $11 billion of humanitarian aid to africa. all of that is grant aid and none of that is loaned money. in terms of investment, the united states has slipped in the last few years, this is a role the private sector can play. nevertheless, american direct investments stopped in africa going back over the years is just the same as china's direct investment stock in africa. in recent years china has provided more flow to africa than it has -- van has the united states. the united states is looking at

this as a u.s. africa connection, not what china is doing in africa and trying to combat it. that is not the purpose of this summit. laura: einar, the u.s. does stress that this is not about china and africa, but beijing will be watching closely to see what comes of it. einar: i think that david is putting his vet -- putting his best foot forward, but he didn't answer your question. biden did not even bother to meet with the heads of the state recently that travel to washington. hopefully this will be better. 49 countries are coming, compared that to 52 countries

who are members of the belt -- the belgian road in africa. africa's needs are very well known. food, energy, debt relief, health issues, how does africa develop, how do you get the infrastructure to allow countries to do that. it's easy to say the private sector will step in. there's nothing wrong with that, but they're not going to build ridges, or long-term projects that are more interested in shorter-term opportunities. africa has one set of goals and right now the u.s. does not have an answer to that. nor does president biden have the right tone with africa. just look at a couple of months

ago when antony blinken was in south africa and said, i don't want you to have to choose. well days earlier, the u.s. ambassador to the u.n. had been in the country saying we want you to choose us over china. antony blinken was dressed down, by the minister of south africa. you can pretend that these games aren't being played, but in the end, we know that china is the elephant in the room and u.s. is trying to contain china and africa. that is the main thrust of this event. laura: i'll give you a chance to respond, david. and i want to point out that this summit is one of the first -- is the first since the last

was held eight years ago. that's a long time for the u.s. to take its eye off the ball. and during that time, many countries have upped in to fill the gap that the u.s. has left. david: that is a fair criticism. we shouldn't wait a crs booth between having these summits or gatherings -- eight years between having these summits or gatherings. it's important to remember that it's a different animal than china who meets every three years. our systems of government are so different that we couldn't possibly do the same thing. as a result, whatever the united states does will be dependent on the private sector. with the u.s. does is also granted based not loan based. if you look at african debt

today, almost none of that is due to american loans. it is other countries that are involved in that issue. in the united states is doing what it can to alleviate, but the u.s. is involved in grant programs that's why a emphasize $11 billion this year for of humanitarian assistance. laura: we will come back to you in a moment, david, we haven't heard from onyekachi in a while, i want to hear from you, onyekachi. onyekachi: i think there is no

doubt in the context of ukraine there's been extraordinary pressure to not just choose between china but with russia and others. that's fair enough each country has its own interests and its own ways that it needs to achieve those interests ends. the u.s. has its interest in those issues, and africans have their own. and it doesn't completely add to the reputation of what is going on in the international realm. i want to pick up on some points that were made, there were upper -- there were opportunities for the u.s. to get this right. for me, the biggest opportunity was alluded to earlier. the utilization of african

diaspora in the u.s.. traditionally, policies were factored through the lens of the old african diaspora. now there is a complexity with this new diaspora, connections on the ground, better ability to argue for things that might work. added with the historic diaspora, this could be a game changer. it is a factor that the chinese do not have. over the last 20 or 30 years, i have been astonished, part of my day job is to work within an organization that utilizes the diaspora for development. and i am astonished how little

that has been amplified or harnessed or brought productive outcomes. the fact that it has been mentioned this round it would be a game changer. but to bring back to the question you asked about choices. i think we are in a different place globally. all of us need to work as best we can with a shot or -- with each other. laura: when it comes to providing money, infrastructure and trade route, is that the extends -- the extends of its offering to the african continent? >> nodded all, you seen in africa and in the northeast, china is trying to move -- is

trying to develop this road initiative beyond establishing two-way trade. it tries to take a lot of the elements that were profitable in the past in china to a labor dividend and push them further out, whether it is in africa or south america, china has immense market and need, and as its economy climbs into higher tertiary territory. it's not going to have the same needs that it did 40 years ago. but i want to retort to david's point, this year china forgave i bunch of no interest loans, that these countries -- forgave a bunch of no interest loans that these countries would be unable to pay back. the idea that the u.s. is

standing tall, and taking care of africa, if that case, why hasn't it worked? there's a book called dead aid, that the aids given to african countries doesn't necessarily push the gdp higher. this doesn't necessarily answer your question of what china has to offer. they believe that trade is necessary and making nations stronger, especially those that it is involved with, economically keep creating stability middle classes and larger markets. it is a rising tide that floats all ships. that is the approach that they have, what she should paying -- xi jin ping has been

offering. laura: the offers from the u.s. often have conditions imposed on them. and this is often seen as patronizing. do you believe that the biden administration is willing to move away from that term of engagement? david: u.s. aid does not come with conditions, it goes to all that are in need of it. we have huge amounts of aid going to sudan even though we have sanctions on sudan. it is true that there is some conditionality with development assistance. the united states has

significant development aid going to africa also. but we often hear that at -- here that china does not have conditionality attached to its aid. it doesn't have conditionality of human rights issues, but if you look at the loans, you must hire a chinese company for the purpose of the loan and for the infrastructure project. looking aside, making this comparison of conditionality, -- i would also add on the trade side, that china has significantly more trade with africa than the united states. it surpassed the united states in 2009 as a leading trade partner. most of that is chinese exports

going to africa leaving a trade deficit for africa. u.s. trade is significantly smaller, but it has a trade deficit with africa. that -- so africa is the primary fishery in terms of trade. onyekachi one more point which i will get to you, what does africa have to offer why is it so interesting to global players? onyekachi: one in four people, if not half the population of the world lives in africa. it is going to have interest from markets, what happens in africa will impact europe and everywhere else. if it goes wrong it could go bad for everyone else. if it goes right, it would be a

big market for everyone as well. africa is important. i think that the key thing, is -- we've talked about what's in the interests of the chinese and the americans, we also need to think of what's in the interest of africans. africa has had a terrible hand over the last 400 years, that needs to be replayed. and what my colleague in washington was talking about, the fact that americans provide grants. yes, we understand that. but some of the international lending agencies also demand -- like the imf and the world bank demand other kinds of conditionality's that benefit american private companies. part of this is what we need to look at. laura: unfortunately we've run

out of time and we need to finish our discussion there. thank you very much for taking the time to join us. onyekachi wambu, david shinn and einar tangen. thank you for watching, you can watch again anytime on our website that is al jazeera.com. you can also join the conversation on twitter. from me, laura kyle and the team here. it's goodbye for now. ♪

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