US President Joe Biden was scheduled to visit Angola this week, but the trip was postponed at the last minute due to the looming threat from Hurricane Milton in Florida.

While a new date for Biden's visit remains uncertain, his tentatively planned trip to the oil-rich country — which would be his first visit to Africa as US president — underscores the growing importance of Angola for the United States.

"From a more historical perspective, the US has always been present in Angola, even though it seems as if it has been indirectly within the oil sector," said Edmilson Angelo, a researcher and specialist in African studies focusing on Angola.

Angelo told DW that Angola's leadership has been trying to establish closer ties with Washington.

"President [Joao] Lourenco was received by President Biden at the White House in November 2023," said Angelo. "It's just a continuation of something that has already been established between Angola and the US."

Some observers view the warming of US-Angola relations as a larger plan by Washington to counter China's influence in Africa.

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© Deutsche Welle