Tillerson in Africa, warns on China's influence on continent

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, says African countries should be careful not to forfeit their sovereignty when they accept loans from the continent’s biggest trading partner China.

Being his first diplomatic trip to Africa, the US secretary general wants to smoothen US Africa relations especially in the shadow of US president Donald Trump’s reported derogatory description of the continent.

Mr Tillerson in particular wants to bolster security alliances on a continent increasingly turning to Beijing for aid and trade. The United States is the leading aid donor to Africa but China surpassed it as a trade partner in 2009.

Beijing has pumped billions into infrastructure projects, though critics say the use of Chinese firms and labor undermines their value. With us on ‘the morning call’ to weigh in on the US secretary of state diplomatic visit to the continent is Calvin Dark, a US and international relations affairs analyst.

Africanews ‘The Morning call’ news anchor Jerry Bambi asks him, what priorities Secretary Tillerson may be articulating regarding the US’ cooperation with Africa?