US President Joe Biden. (File/Courtesy).

U.S. President Joe Biden will visit Africa for the second time since taking office in 2021 when he travels to Angola in the first week of December where he will meet with counterpart João Lourenço to discuss bilateral relations.

Biden was previously scheduled to fly to Angola from 13-15 October, but postponed the trip to remain in Washington to monitor his government’s response to a devastating Hurricane Milton which recently battered Florida.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday that Biden and Lourenco will discuss increased collaboration on shared priorities, including bolstering “our economic partnerships that keep our companies competitive and protect workers.”

The two leaders will celebrate the signature project of the G7’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI), a commitment to advance public and private investments in sustainable, inclusive, resilient and quality infrastructure, she added.

The U.S. is financing the railway project in Angola, known as the Lobito Corridor, aimed at enhancing regional trade and economic growth by connecting mineral-rich countries in Central Africa to global markets.

The project involves upgrading and extending a railway line that runs from Angola through the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to Zambia, with future plans to connect to the Indian Ocean via Tanzania.

Jean-Pierre said the project “advances our joint vision for Africa’s first trans-continental open-access rail network that starts in Lobito and ultimately will connect the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean.”

She added that Biden’s visit to Luanda celebrates the evolution of the U.S.-Angola relationship, underscores Washington’s continued commitment to African partners in solving their shared challenges.

Observers say the proposed visit reflects Africa’s growing importance to the US, amid the “new cold war” sparked by rivalry with China.

The US is responding to the expanding influence of China, Russia and other emerging powers in Africa by intensifying economic, diplomatic and military cooperation.

Biden first visited the continent in November 2022 when he travelled to Egypt to address the 27th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27), aimed to advance the global climate fight and help the most vulnerable build resilience to climate impacts.