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If Trump is serious about China, he can’t ignore Africa

2 0
08.01.2025

During his first administration, President-elect Donald Trump made clear his disdain for Africa when, during a January 2018 meeting with senators, he dismissed much of the continent as “shithole countries.” If he wishes his second-term legacy to roll back China’s rise against U.S. interests, Trump can no longer afford to ignore the continent.

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s cobalt will be to the economy of the coming decades what Saudi Arabia’s oil was to the late 20th century. Cobalt is essential for the lithium-ion batteries that power the technology upon which the modern, industrialized world depends. The DRC also has tantalum necessary for everything from mobile phones and televisions to inkjet printers, digital cameras, and medical devices, and the germanium essential for the semiconductor industry. Add rare earths, such as copper, gold, diamonds, and uranium, into the mix, and the true possible wealth of the DRC becomes obvious. The DRC is home to almost $24 trillion in resources, much of it untapped.

Nor is the DRC alone. Somaliland, the Western-oriented democracy seeking international recognition of its statehood, has gas, oil, and........

© Washington Examiner


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