Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune began a visit to China on July 17 for the cities of Beijing and Shenzhen. The goal of this visit, which ends on July 21, is Algeria’s admission to the BRICS and the forging of several economic and commercial partnerships.
Economic partnership, China ahead of France
For a long time France, as in many other African countries, had the economic monopoly in Algeria. In recent years however, things started to move under President Boutefika who made China a privileged partner in trade.
Boutefika’s successor, Tebboune, followed in the same logic; hence the trip to China. According to official reports, the amount of Chinese exports to Algeria for the year 2023 is nearly 8 billion dollars, making China the first supplier of Algeria with a percentage of 17% market share, far ahead of France’s 10%, and Italy’s (7%). These exports, among others, include cars, toys, telephones, clothing, household appliances and consumer goods.
The BRICS, an objective for Tebboune
Beyond the aforementioned reasons, the Algerian president is also seeking Algeria’s admission to BRICS, an economic bloc that includes China, Russia, Brazil, India and South Africa.
The BRICS is seen as the future in the global economy. Founded in 2009, due in part to the war in Ukraine, it is now emerging as a symbol of economic hope and optimism for developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceana, aka the Global South. With the war in Ukraine causing a scarcity of gas in Europe and with Algeria possessing a non-negligible reserve of gas, its importance among Western countries has grown.
