ACCRA (Reuters) - U.S.&nbsp;Vice&nbsp;President&nbsp;Kamala&nbsp;Harris&nbsp;said on Sunday that the United States will increase&nbsp;investment&nbsp;in&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;and help spur economic growth as she began a week long tour of the continent aimed at offering a counter to the influence of rival China.
China has invested heavily in&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;in recent decades, including in infrastructure and resource development, while Russian influence has also grown, including through the deployment of troops from Russia's private military contractor Wagner Group to aid governments in several countries.
"On this trip I intend to do work that is focused on increasing&nbsp;investments here on the continent and facilitating economic growth and opportunity,"&nbsp;Harris&nbsp;said shortly after touching down in Ghana, the first destination in a trip that will include visits to Tanzania and Zambia.
The administration of U.S.&nbsp;President&nbsp;Joe Biden has sought to strengthen ties with&nbsp;Africa, in part to offer an alternative to rival powers.
In December, ahead of a U.S.-Africa&nbsp;summit, the U.S. committed $55 billion to the continent over the next three years. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $150 million in new humanitarian aid for&nbsp;Africa's Sahel region during a visit to Niger this month.
Biden is yet to visit&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;as&nbsp;president.
On this trip,&nbsp;Harris&nbsp;will also discuss China's engagement in technology and economic issues in&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;that concern the United States, as well as China's involvement in debt restructuring, senior U.S. officials said last week.
Harris&nbsp;will meet Ghana&nbsp;President&nbsp;Nana Akufo-Addo this week and will visit a former slave castle from which slaves were sent to America during the slave trade era.
Harris&nbsp;will be in Ghana from March 26-29, then in Tanzania from March 29-31. Her final stop is Zambia, on March 31 and April 1. She will meet with the three countries'&nbsp;presidents and plans to announce public- and private-sector&nbsp;investments.
&nbsp;
(Reporting by Cooper Inveen and Edward McAllister, Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)

you might like

US Vice President Harris promises greater investment for Africa