60th Algerian-Chinese Diplomatic Relations
Algerian-Chinese diplomatic relations are based on the important historical reference resulting from China's political assistance to Algeria during its War of Liberation. China was the first non-Arab country to recognize the institution of the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic and to establish diplomatic relations with our country from December 20, 1958.
After Algeria obtained its independence, its good relations with China continued to exist and have even progressed since, in particular with the great support and the important historical mission accomplished by our country to allow China to recover its position as a Permanent Member within the United Nations Security Council, in 1971. The historical reference linking the two countries has greatly contributed to consolidating their bilateral relations on the political and economic levels.
On the political level, it is fair to say that neither party has failed to provide assistance to the other, particularly with regard to issues related to the foreign policies of the two countries. Several high-level visits were also made between Algeria and China, including the three visits of His Excellency, the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA, carried out respectively in October 2000, November 2006 and August 2008. As well as that of the former Chinese President, Mr. Hu Jintao in Algeria carried out in February 2004 and where he was keen to emphasize the importance given by his country to Algeria's foreign policy.
Furthermore and on the economic level, it was around the year 2000 that trade between Algeria and China progressed remarkably considering that China was preparing at this time to become an industrial and economic force. The year 2014, for its part, was marked by a great boom in Algerian-Chinese bilateral relations, after having raised the relations for strategic cooperation, previously established between the two parties in 2006, to a true global strategic partnership. A partnership which materialized following the joint adoption, by His Excellency, the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA and his Chinese counterpart, Mr. Xi Jinping, of the “Political Declaration”, dated May 25, 2014. Note that the “Political Declaration” was the first document adopted by China with an Arab country, and which was subsequently followed, on June 6, 2014, by the implementation of the “Five-Year Plan for Global Strategic Cooperation”.
Currently, China is considered one of Algeria's main economic and trade partners and is its leading supplier. Cooperation between the two countries has been extended to all areas, including space. The latter was manifested by the launch, on December 11, 2017, of the first Algerian satellite dedicated to telecommunications, the “ALCOM SAT1”, from a Chinese satellite launch base.
The field of construction and basic infrastructure also constitutes another important axis of cooperation between the two countries. Chinese construction companies have largely contributed to the construction of several basic infrastructures and to the delivery of a number of megaprojects, such as the “Great Mosque of Algiers” project and that of the “Port Center El Hamdania” in Tipaza. Added to this is the construction of the Algiers opera house “Boualem BESSAIAH” delivered by China in September 2017, in the form of a donation to Algeria.
The adoption on November 26, 2018, of the memorandum of understanding by the Algerian company SONATRACH and the Chinese Construction Group (CITIC) further strengthened the Algerian-Chinese partnership, aimed at the creation of a joint company responsible for launching an integrated megaproject for the exploitation and transformation of phosphate and natural gas across four wilayas in eastern Algeria (Tébéssa, Souk Ahras, Annaba and Skikda). This project, the amount of which amounts to six (06) billion dollars, is intended to be a new model which further confirms the crucial role of Algerian-Chinese investments, generators of wealth and employment, in strengthening cooperation and bilateral partnership between the two parties.
The consolidation of Algerian-Chinese relations as well as the need to advance them have therefore become constants specific to the foreign policies of the two countries.
After Algeria obtained its independence, its good relations with China continued to exist and have even progressed since, in particular with the great support and the important historical mission accomplished by our country to allow China to recover its position as a Permanent Member within the United Nations Security Council, in 1971. The historical reference linking the two countries has greatly contributed to consolidating their bilateral relations on the political and economic levels.
On the political level, it is fair to say that neither party has failed to provide assistance to the other, particularly with regard to issues related to the foreign policies of the two countries. Several high-level visits were also made between Algeria and China, including the three visits of His Excellency, the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA, carried out respectively in October 2000, November 2006 and August 2008. As well as that of the former Chinese President, Mr. Hu Jintao in Algeria carried out in February 2004 and where he was keen to emphasize the importance given by his country to Algeria's foreign policy.
Furthermore and on the economic level, it was around the year 2000 that trade between Algeria and China progressed remarkably considering that China was preparing at this time to become an industrial and economic force. The year 2014, for its part, was marked by a great boom in Algerian-Chinese bilateral relations, after having raised the relations for strategic cooperation, previously established between the two parties in 2006, to a true global strategic partnership. A partnership which materialized following the joint adoption, by His Excellency, the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA and his Chinese counterpart, Mr. Xi Jinping, of the “Political Declaration”, dated May 25, 2014. Note that the “Political Declaration” was the first document adopted by China with an Arab country, and which was subsequently followed, on June 6, 2014, by the implementation of the “Five-Year Plan for Global Strategic Cooperation”.
Currently, China is considered one of Algeria's main economic and trade partners and is its leading supplier. Cooperation between the two countries has been extended to all areas, including space. The latter was manifested by the launch, on December 11, 2017, of the first Algerian satellite dedicated to telecommunications, the “ALCOM SAT1”, from a Chinese satellite launch base.
The field of construction and basic infrastructure also constitutes another important axis of cooperation between the two countries. Chinese construction companies have largely contributed to the construction of several basic infrastructures and to the delivery of a number of megaprojects, such as the “Great Mosque of Algiers” project and that of the “Port Center El Hamdania” in Tipaza. Added to this is the construction of the Algiers opera house “Boualem BESSAIAH” delivered by China in September 2017, in the form of a donation to Algeria.
The adoption on November 26, 2018, of the memorandum of understanding by the Algerian company SONATRACH and the Chinese Construction Group (CITIC) further strengthened the Algerian-Chinese partnership, aimed at the creation of a joint company responsible for launching an integrated megaproject for the exploitation and transformation of phosphate and natural gas across four wilayas in eastern Algeria (Tébéssa, Souk Ahras, Annaba and Skikda). This project, the amount of which amounts to six (06) billion dollars, is intended to be a new model which further confirms the crucial role of Algerian-Chinese investments, generators of wealth and employment, in strengthening cooperation and bilateral partnership between the two parties.
The consolidation of Algerian-Chinese relations as well as the need to advance them have therefore become constants specific to the foreign policies of the two countries.