US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Thursday that African countries should be careful not to forfeit their sovereignty when they accept loans from China, the continent's biggest trading partner. Tillerson is using his first diplomatic trip to Africa to bolster security alliances on a continent increasingly turning to Beijing for aid and trade. He may also seek to smooth relations after US President Donald Trump reportedly dismissed some African countries as "shithole countries" in January. Trump later denied making the comment."We are not in any way attempting to keep Chinese dollars from Africa," Tillerson told a news conference in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. "It is important that African countries carefully consider the terms of those agreements and not forfeit their sovereignty." The US is the leading aid donor to Africa, but China surpassed it as a trade partner in 2009. Beijing has pumped billions into infrastructure projects, though critics say the use of Chine...
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