The administration is aiming to strike deals to expand the United States’ access to critical minerals and to counter China’s rising influence in Africa.

President Trump is hosting 5 African leaders in Washington this week — a selective summit that's raising eyebrows over who was invited, what's on the table, and what it signals about U.S. rivalry with China and BRICS in Africa.

Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal for a discussion and lunch at the White House, with the discussions to focus on business opportunities, a White House official said. Africa experts are waiting for Trump to announce dates for a broader summit with African leaders,