Global Insights on BRI丨President Advisor of Algeria: China-Algeria relations a model for BRI

By Chen Tianhao

(ECNS)-- The year 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). During an exclusive interview with China News Network, Smail Debeche, president of the Algeria-China Friendship Association and president advisor of Algeria, said that the cooperation between Algeria and China is a model for national cooperation, with both countries promoting mutual benefits through the BRI. 

"The basis of the BRI is mutual benefits, including investments, for the long run, overcoming unemployment, and constructions in major sectors that will lead to faster and greater industrial and technological development," said Debeche, adding that "the BRI now proposes and initiates modern economic cooperation based on sharing development, sharing technology and sharing benefits." 

Debeche noted that China's economy has become very competitive for the last 10 years to the extent that it is wanted by Western countries and Western people, and the development of the BRI is inseparable from China's development.

"By building trains, dams and ports, the BRI now becomes a model for mutual benefits," he said, adding that there are now over 100 countries joining the BRI, including more than 20 countries in the Arab world.

Debeche also emphasizes BRI's significance in reaching mutual benefits "with countries in the Third World and even with the West". Besides, in his opinion, multilateral efforts like the BRI and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will weaken Western one-sided politics and lead more to a multilateral world in which all the people will benefit.

In 2018, China and Algeria signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the BRI. The Algerian side has been praising the BRI for its positive role in promoting collaboration, unity and win-win cooperation, and has been supporting the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative proposed by China. Just as Debeche said, "The China-Algeria relationship is a model for cooperation."

"I see the future between Algeria and China is flourishing economically and commercially, for now China is one of the leading countries of Algerian bilateral relationship, and I think the future would be doubled," Debeche noted, "especially after the visit of the Algerian president Abdelmadjid Tebboune to China two months ago when he signed almost 20 agreements including those in agriculture, industry, technology, science, education and health cooperation."

In recent years, Algeria-China relations have developed in an all-round and in-depth way. Political mutual trust has been enhanced, and fruitful practical cooperation has been conducted within the framework of the BRI. The East-West Highway, Alcomsat-1 communications satellite, Oran Stadium are all successful examples of bilateral cooperation. "It makes Algeria-China cooperation a model for international cooperation and a model as well for the BRI," said Debeche.

"The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China included orientations towards cultural contacts with different civilizations," Debeche said, "This will make more understanding between China and other people."

As the president of the Algeria-China Friendship Association, Debeche has witnessed a very good relationship between associations in both countries, which contributes to the people-to-people relationship.

"In fact, we became a family," he said.