This week, President Obama is hosting about 50 heads of state from Africa, all convening to discuss the continent’s future. For most of its recent past, Africa has been propped up by development aid, a large chunk of which from the United States, its biggest donor. At a meeting Tuesday, Obama announced a $14 billion public-private package to spur growth in construction, clean energy, banking, and IT projects. The goal, the White House says, is to create jobs in both Africa and the United States.

But the U.S. may not be Africa’s top benefactor for long. Since 2001, China has steadily increased its investment on the continent, where more than one-fifth of people are undernourished and three-quarters don’t have access to