This article analyzes the relationship between the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China and sub-Saharan Africa during the period of trade tensions between the United States and China. The focus of the study is on the forms of building relationships in the framework of a trade war, goals and objectives set by the governments of the United States and the People's Republic of China to strengthen their positions on the African continent, to implement practical solutions and initiatives, and to respond to actions taken by African States. Also, the focus of this article is on analyzing the actions and decisions of the President Trump administration compared to China’s approach to regulating economic relations with African states. This angle of view provides the novelty of the study against the background of many other works that deal with the situation of trade tensions in general, rather than a specific struggle for positions in Africa - the continent of the future. The study presents possib