logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2023
28m 54s

America Has a Problem in Africa: China

The New York Times
About this episode

Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit to Africa last week was designed to send a simple message to its governments and people — China is not your friend. The United States is.

Abdi Latif Dahir, The New York Times’s East Africa correspondent, explains what the United States has to lose if countries in Africa choose China.

Guest: Abdi Latif Dahir, the East Africa correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Up next
Yesterday
A Consequential Supreme Court Term Begins With a Conversion Therapy Case
Warning: this episode contains mentions of suicide.In one of the first cases of the Supreme Court’s new term, the justices considered whether to strike down a ban on conversion therapy, the contentious practice that aims to change a young person’s sexual orientation.Ann E. Marimo ... Show More
30m 29s
Oct 8
Trump Claims ‘Rebellion’ in American Cities
Over the past week, ICE and border patrol agents have clashed with Chicago residents, and federal guard troops arriving in the city might inflame tensions further.Julie Bosman, Chicago bureau chief for The Times, and Mattathias Schwartz describe the situation on the ground and ex ... Show More
34m 31s
Oct 7
Marriage and Sex in the Age of Ozempic
In the last few years, GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound have been radically reshaping the people’s lives, changing appetites and health.But the drugs also have the power to affect other parts of consumers’ lives, including their romantic relationships.Lisa Miller ... Show More
37m 17s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2023
How China is exporting authoritarianism to Africa
A coup in Niger and its violent aftermath has Western powers including the US scrambling to keep an anti-terrorism presence in the region, and the turmoil is also affecting China's relationship with the West African nation. As one of the largest investors in Niger, China has put ... Show More
11m 30s
Nov 2018
Is the China-Africa Love Affair Over?
The burgeoning relationship between China and Africa has been one of the great economic stories of the 21st century. Billions of dollars of investment and loans from China have created radical change in many African countries. But not everyone is happy, with some even claiming th ... Show More
22m 59s
Nov 2021
What is the United States' Africa Policy?
In Abuja on Friday, Antony Blinken gave a major policy speech on his country's approach towards Africa. In it, the U.S. Secretary of State made no mention of China - the continent's largest trading partner. Attempting to signal a shift from the Trump era, he promised "different a ... Show More
23m 4s
Dec 2022
2022 in Review: The war in Ukraine, U.S. vs China, Britain's woes
Fareed talks to The Economist editor in chief Zanny Minton Beddoes and Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer about some of the biggest global stories that transformed the world in 2022; from the war in Ukraine, to tensions over tech between the U.S. and China, and the bedlam that h ... Show More
40m 32s
Jul 2023
Is the China Africa relationship mutually beneficial?
South Africa has started preparing to host the BRICS summit next month. This is a gathering of a political and economic bloc compromised of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. China, in particular, is expected to expand its influence. Over 30% of all major building pro ... Show More
16m 55s
Aug 2023
Another coup in Africa
Military officers in oil-rich Gabon said they had seized power, US commerce secretary Gina Raimondo wrapped up a visit to China, and the billionaire founder of Apple supplier Foxconn is running for president of Taiwan.  Mentioned in this podcast:Fed warned Goldman Sachs over risk ... Show More
8m 49s
Feb 2022
How bad could China-US relations get? With Rana Mitter
This week marks the 50th anniversary of President Richard Nixon's visit to China. In 2022, there are warnings the US and China are entering a new Cold War, while the latter's relationship with Russia is strengthening. The New Statesman’s senior editor of China and global affairs, ... Show More
23m 33s
Jan 2023
The World Ahead 2023: China's challenges
As president Xi Jinping begins his third five-year term, China’s path forward is uncertain. Covid-19 is tearing through the country after it relaxed its strict “zero-covid” policies. China also faces slowing economic growth and rising geopolitical tensions with America. Are China ... Show More
26m 31s
Aug 2021
Listen Again: Understanding China
This week we are revisiting one of our most popular episodes to date. Chairman George Friedman explores China’s relationship with both the United States and Russia, as well as its tendency towards isolation. East Asia Expert Phillip Orchard breaks down the geopolitical imperative ... Show More
34m 35s