China Deepens Cooperation With Algeria

MNI London: Wires carrying comments stating that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune have agreed to "deepen cooperation" across a broad range of areas following a series of meetings in Beijing.

• According to Reuters, Chinese state media reports: "China, Algeria will deepen cooperation in traditional areas such as infrastructure, petrochemicals, minerals, and agriculture," and "expand cooperation in high-tech like aerospace, nuclear energy, information and communications, and renewable energy."
• The Beijing trip follows a meeting between President Tebboune and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, in June, and the announcement of an official bid from Algeria to become a member of BRICS last November which is likely to be ratified at next month's BRICS summit in South Africa.
• Regional expert Ali Metwally told Al-Monitor: "Algeria aims to boost its oil and gas production capacity, and China has been involved in several major oil and gas projects in the country. Chinese companies, including China National Petroleum Company, have been implementing projects with the collaboration of Sonatrach, like the Hassi Bir Rekaiz, Hassi Sbaa and Hassi Ilatou fields.”