China's imminent replacement of the West as the dominant international economic and political force in Africa epitomizes the most dramatic shift in geopolitics since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Yet the United States and Europe, Africa's traditional trading partners, seem incapable of responding to the challenge and retaking the initiative. Instead, their response has been to wring their hands in despair and make ineffectual noises about human rights and democracy.
A recent Senate hearing on the implications of China's role in Africa, for instance, concluded that the United States is ceding both its economic and political leadership in Africa. Led by Senator Chris Coons, the panel urged the United States to
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