This segment of NewsLink takes us back to Liberia, where reactions are surfacing in response to President Joseph Boakai’s recent statement inviting the United States government to survey the country’s mineral resources.
During a high-profile dinner at the White House on Wednesday, the Liberian leader praised the longstanding relations between the U.S. and Liberia, and subsequently requested that the U.S. survey the country’s abundant mineral resources.
However, in January 2025, while delivering his State of the Nation address, President Boakai informed the Liberian legislature that China had completed the most detailed mineral resource survey in Liberia in over 50 years.
These conflicting remarks from the sitting president, first commending Beijing for its comprehensive survey, then appealing to Washington for another, leave room for questions about the consistency of Liberia’s foreign policy and the government’s position in the growing strategic rivalry between China and the United States.
Our guest is Dr. Lester Tenny, a Liberian economist, who shares insights in an exclusive interview with WADR regarding the implications of these statements.
