China's Xi meets Algeria’s Tebboune, vows to deepen exchanges, cooperation

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – China's President Xi Jinping on Tuesday hosted visiting Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune for bilateral talks in Beijing, pledging to "deepen exchanges and cooperation."

"Sixty-five years ago, China and Algeria were brought together by the common cause of opposing imperialism and colonialism and seeking national independence and liberation," Xi told Tebboune during the meeting held at the Great Hall of the People.

"Since then, the two countries have helped each other through thick and thin and forged a friendship that has gone from strength to strength," he added, according to Hua Chunying, spokeswoman of China's Foreign Ministry.

At Xi's invitation, Tebboune is making his first trip to Beijing since taking office in December 2019.

The Algerian president arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport on Monday for the five-day visit.

Xi also assured Tebboune that China is ready to work with Algeria to "carry forward the longstanding friendship, strengthen strategic communication, and deepen exchanges and cooperation, to make steady and sustained progress in the China-Algeria comprehensive strategic partnership."

The visit comes after Algeria and China signed another strategic agreement last November, set to run until 2026 to strengthen communications and bilateral relations.

China and Algeria upgraded their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2014, becoming the first Arab country to do so, with annual bilateral trade of around $7 billion.