U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L) receives a cup of brewed coffee during a traditional ceremony in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 8, 2018. Jonathan Ernst | AFP | Getty Images

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has warned against African nations accepting Chinese cash in agreements which could "forfeit their sovereignty." "We are not in any way attempting to keep Chinese dollars from Africa," Tillerson said at a press conference in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa on Thursday, as reported by Reuters. "It is important that African countries carefully consider the terms of those agreements (with China) and not forfeit their sovereignty," he added. Tillerson's trip is his first on behalf of the Trump administration, and will include stops at Djibouti, the tiny east African nation at which both the U.S. and China have a military bases, followed by Kenya, Chad and Nigeria.

Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda were among the top 10 recipients of U.S. foreign aid in 2016, according to website How Much using data from the United States Agency for International Development. But, in recent years China has increased its influence on the African continent. According to Reuters, China surpassed the U.S. as Africa's largest trade partner in 2009, and has supplied billions for infrastructure projects. Ethiopia and Djibouti, for example, are key tenets of China's Belt and Road Initiative, a massive infrastructure spending plan aimed at resurrecting the ancient trading routes centered on China.

Tillerson visited the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa Thursday, which had been built by China.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L) and Ethiopia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Workneh Gebeyehu hold a joint press conference following their meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 08, 2018. Minasse Wondimu Hailu | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

Chinese state news agency Xinhua has published articles which counter Tillerson's comments. The U.S. is "detached from reality," in its accusations of China-Africa collaboration, one expert on Ethiopia is quoted as saying. "Africa's concerns are China's concerns. Africa's priorities are China's priorities," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at the National People's Congress in Beijing on Thursday.

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