In the port city of Oran, just a short walk from the Mediterranean, new apartment towers rise beside freshly paved roads. Their uniform design and the Mandarin signs on nearby shipping containers tell a story few Algerians need to be reminded of: China is here.
Beijing has quietly become Algeria’s most important economic partner, surpassing former colonial powers like France and regional suppliers like Spain. From housing blocks and highways to mobile networks and mass consumer imports, China’s influence is woven into the country’s modern infrastructure—and its everyday life.
“There’s no comparison,” says Rachid Benabdallah, a local logistics coordinator in Algiers. “If it’s big, if it’s built recently, chances are the Chinese had something to do with it.”
A Partnership Built on History—And Strategy
The friendship between China and Algeria isn’t new. During the war of independence, Beijing provided support to the FLN, while Algiers later backed China’s successful 1971 bid to join the United Nations. The relationship has remained warm, though largely pragmatic.
While Western powers often tie investment to political or governance reforms, China has traditionally opted for neutrality. That approach has allowed it to expand its reach without entangling itself in Algeria’s volatile domestic politics.
And when crisis hit, China stayed. During the 2019–2020 Hirak protests and the resignation of longtime president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Chinese firms continued work on their projects without pause. When President Abdelmadjid Tebboune took office, China was among the first to signal support—both diplomatically and symbolically.
Even at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, China’s presence didn’t waver. The China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) delivered medical supplies and quietly continued its work on major construction projects.
“Some saw it as opportunism,” says political analyst Nadia Khellaf. “But for many Algerians, it felt like reliability.”
Building a New Algeria—One Contract at a Time
The numbers tell the story. In 2007, there were roughly 480 Chinese companies operating in Algeria. By 2020, that figure had nearly tripled to 1,200. While initial activity focused heavily on importing goods—57% of Chinese economic activity in Algeria in 2007—today over half of that footprint (55%) is in sectors like construction, telecommunications, and infrastructure.
Projects include highways, railroads, water aqueducts, and the Grand Mosque of Algiers—now the third-largest in the world. The El-Hamdania port, a $3.3 billion deepwater facility financed and built by Chinese firms, is expected to anchor Algeria’s role in China’s global Belt and Road Initiative.
Huawei, too, has found its place. Since 2017, the Chinese telecom giant has partnered with Algérie Télécom to expand fiber optic networks and internet speeds across the country.
“We see China not just as a contractor,” said one senior Algerian infrastructure official who asked not to be named. “They’re a long-term collaborator.”
A Workforce That Builds but Doesn’t Settle
Each year, tens of thousands of Chinese workers arrive in Algeria to staff massive construction sites. Most live in temporary dormitories near the work zones, eating Chinese food, speaking Mandarin, and rarely interacting with Algerians beyond the workday.
“They build the towers and then they’re gone,” says Mourad Chikhi, a 28-year-old electrician who has worked alongside Chinese teams. “It’s strange. You see them, but you don’t know them.”
Estimates of the Chinese workforce range from 40,000 to 80,000 annually. Despite their visibility on construction sites, they remain largely invisible socially, a contrast to the few Chinese merchants running small textile and home goods shops in major cities.
Trade Without Touch
While Chinese products have saturated Algerian markets since the early 2000s, Chinese merchants are rarely the ones selling them. Most of the trade flows through Algerian importers who maintain strong ties with commercial hubs in Yiwu and Guangzhou. These goods—electronics, clothing, plastics, toys—have reshaped consumer culture without changing the faces behind the counter.
By 2016, China had become Algeria’s number one supplier, accounting for 18.3% of its imports by 2019. Yet despite this dominance, the direct Chinese retail footprint remains limited, hemmed in by strict Algerian regulations on foreign business ownership and stiff local competition.
“Invisible globalization,” some experts call it—a phenomenon where influence deepens without daily contact.
More Than a Deal
Back in Algiers, as commuters pass beneath cranes operated by CSCEC and delivery trucks labeled in Chinese script, the country’s transformation feels tangible. But it also raises questions.
“We needed partners who wouldn’t lecture us,” says Khellaf. “China gave us that. The next question is: At what cost?”
Whether Beijing’s rise in Algeria becomes a blueprint for South-South cooperation or a cautionary tale of overreliance is still unfolding. For now, the partnership remains as solid as the concrete foundations China continues to pour.