US wants to compete with China in Global South, but its promises have too many strings attached: expert

US officials have called for Washington to prioritize matching China's presence in the Global South. However, Chinese experts noted that China's approach of equal and mutually beneficial cooperation, as opposed to the US' Cold War mind-set and its carrot-and-stick approach, has been key in winning hearts in Global South countries. 

Speaking at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Tuesday, Ben Cardin, a Democratic senator and chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the US needs to offer the Global South an alternative to China.

"In order to address these challenges, the US should not only be investing in our military, but also our diplomatic and economic development tools," Cardin said.

Echoing Cardin, US State Department Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said at the hearing that he has traveled to Africa twice since his appointment in February and has plans for a third trip. He also noted that there are 14 ambassador nominations for posts on the continent yet to be approved by the Senate, according to Voice of America. 

Several senators at the hearing stressed the need to increase the US diplomatic footprint and fill empty ambassadorial posts, particularly within the Global South.

Campbell said the lack of US ambassadors in key posts is "embarrassing" and "antithetical to US strategic interests." 

The US has quickened its pace in competing with China over influence in the Global South in recent years. In the latest move, the US opened an embassy in the Pacific island country of Vanuatu earlier this month, described as part of Washington's long-running competition with China for influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

The US has overlooked a crucial distinction in its approach to cooperation with Global South countries compared to China. While China offers equal and mutually beneficial partnerships that contribute to the development of these nations, the US often employs a carrot-and-stick approach to coerce support for its own interests, and treats these countries as tools in a geopolitical competition, Song Wei, a professor from the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times. 

Campbell also said that "we need to do more, and we have to contest Chinese actions, not only in terms of their forward basing strategy, but their desire to go after Africa's rare earths that will be critical for our industrial and technological capabilities."

US competition with China in obtaining critical minerals, such as rare earths, will further politicize and intensify the global scramble for resources in developing countries, which is not conducive to the development of these countries, Song said.

A new Gallup report released in April this year shows median approval ratings for the US in Africa slipped from 59 percent in 2022 to 56 percent in 2023. Of the four global powers asked about, the US was the only one not to see its image improve across Africa in 2023. Meanwhile, China's approval in the region rose six percentage points, from 52 percent in 2022 to 58 percent in 2023, two points ahead of the US.