Why African leaders value seamless transcontinental links over US-China rivalry

Washington may have framed the Lobito Corridor as de-risking mineral supply chains from Chinese influence, but governments in Africa are prioritising a “handshake” with Beijing…

Washington may have framed the Lobito Corridor as de-risking mineral supply chains from Chinese influence, but governments in Africa are prioritising a “handshake” with Beijing and other corridors to create a seamless transcontinental connection.

The United States views the Lobito Corridor as a direct rival to the China-backed 1,860km (1,156-mile) Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) that stretches from Kapiri Mposhi in central Zambia to Dar es Salaam on Tanzania’s eastern coast.

The stakes are high as Tazara recently secured a US$1.4 billion investment from the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).

Under a 30-year concession, the route’s rehabilitation is backed by a commercial joint venture including Chinese mining giants Zijin Mining and CMOC, alongside COSCO Shipping and Jiayou International Logistics.

The venture creates a Chinese-controlled logistics chain from the mining pits to the port at Dar es Salaam.

Meanwhile, officials in Luanda, Kinshasa and Lusaka are pursuing interoperability to link the Atlantic port of Lobito with the Indian Ocean at Dar es Salaam and Mozambican ports.

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