In mid-July, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune made a five-day state visit to China, where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other key officials. The delegation of businessmen that accompanied him underscored Tebboune’s desire to boost Algeria’s economic ties with China. As Tebboune told Chinese state media CCTV on the final day of his trip, “We want to cooperate with China because it is a great country with enormous means.”
But Tebboune also made a point of stating why Beijing’s model of partnership is so appealing. “China does not issue political injunctions,” he explained. “It doesn’t put conditions.” In short, China “respects other countries.”
On the way to and from China, Tebboune stopped over in Qatar and Turkey, respectively. Alongside visits to Russia and other countries earlier this year, the latest trip was part of a broader effort by Algiers to reengage diplomatically after years of isolation.