Xiplomacy: China, Algeria mark anniversary of ties with eyes on stronger partnership

Qi Shujie, the deputy general manager of CITIC Construction Algeria, and Mohamed Salah Kafi, the head of the eastern region bureau of Algeria's National Highway Agency, together paving the last meter of the East-West Highway with asphalt in El Tarf Province, Algeria. [Xinhua]

On July 13, the main section of the Bejaia Highway was opened and enabled Abdelghani to reach Algiers in less than two hours.

Over the past 20 years, Chinese builders have paved about 700 km of highways in Algeria, benefiting 30 million people in different regions of the country.

In addition to highways, Algerian landmarks such as the Algiers Grand Mosque, Algiers International Airport and the Algiers International Conference Center were all constructed by Chinese companies.

Under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China's contributions go beyond infrastructure. During the construction of the East-West Highway, Chinese companies trained more than 16,000 Algerians to become skilled technicians.

"Young Algerian engineers who have accumulated experience and grown rapidly through long-term cooperation with their Chinese colleagues are highly skilled and represent the future of the construction industry in Algeria," said Mohamed Salah Kafi, head of the eastern region bureau in Algeria's National Highway Agency.

In June 2022, Tebboune attended the High-level Dialogue on Global Development chaired by President Xi, and Algeria joined the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative (GDI).

During Tebboune's visit to China, the two sides reached consensus on promoting cooperation in key areas under the framework of the GDI and accelerating the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In an interview with Xinhua, Basma Laboukh, an Algerian writer and political analyst, said the GDI is a valuable platform for international cooperation and a unique example of realizing common development.

The GDI aims to build a better world by overcoming challenges through collective strength, Laboukh said.

EXPANDING COOPERATION

This year also marks the 60th anniversary of China sending its first medical team to Algeria. Over the last six decades, 3,522 Chinese medical workers have been sent to Algeria, treating over 27 million people and delivering over 2.07 million babies. "This is a monument to the China-Algeria friendship," Xi told Tebboune in their meeting.

Members of a Chinese medical team to Algeria attend a ceremony at Jiangbei International Airport in southwest China's Chongqing, May 13, 2020. [Xinhua]

The first medical team, dispatched by Beijing to help other countries, was sent to Algeria. After its independence, Algeria faced problems such as the withdrawal of foreign doctors and a shortage of medical supplies. In April 1963, at the request of the Algerian side, a Chinese medical team arrived in Saida, Algeria, and their service is ongoing.

Saida is a small town in northern Africa adjacent to the Sahara Desert. It has a dry, hot climate, with occasional sandstorms, and is known as the "gate to the desert."

When the Chinese team arrived, there was only one local doctor and one nurse, and the ward did not even have an electrocardiogram machine.

Under such difficult conditions, Chinese medical team members did their best to save the dying and heal the wounded. Nowadays, local people greet Chinese doctors and offer them shopping discounts as a gesture of gratitude and recognition.

China will work more closely with Algeria on healthcare, continue to provide government scholarships to Algeria, and promote friendly cooperation in media, tourism, youth, sports and think tanks to cement public support for bilateral ties, President Xi said.

For Debeche, also a professor of political sciences and international relations at the University of Algiers, the friendly and fruitful relations between Beijing and Algiers "would serve as a model not only for African countries but also for the Arab world as a whole."