PRETORIA, South Africa — With Russia and China looming in the background, America’s top diplomat pitched a “new chapter” in U.S.-African relations on Monday, promising robust trade and calling for democracy despite political upheaval in much of the continent.
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken insisted his five-day swing through sub-Saharan Africa is aimed at making the region a priority for the administration in a dynamic of “equal partners.”
But Blinken made no secret of his condemnation of Moscow and Beijing and what he said was their exploitation of African countries and resources.
