(BRF2023) Interview: Algerian expert says BRI boosts global development

ALGIERS, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has promoted global development via mutual benefit and experience sharing, said an Algerian scholar on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the China-proposed initiative.

The BRI has helped participating countries access financial support, said Smail Debeche, president of the Algeria-China Friendship Association and a professor of political science and international relations at the University of Algiers 3, in a recent interview with Xinhua.

"By fostering win-win partnerships and infrastructure development, the initiative enables participating countries to transition from import dependency to producers in collaboration with Chinese companies," Debeche said.

Meanwhile, the scholar dismissed Western rhetoric that the BRI is a tool to counter the West, arguing that it also serves the interests of Western nations and their citizens.

Mutual benefit, equality, and social justice promoted by the BRI will help build a balanced development system and open up new horizons for global sustainable development, he said.

Debeche highlighted that the BRI encompasses not only economic aspects but also culture and other factors, pursuing comprehensive cooperation rather than mere financial interests.

The BRI perfectly aligns with Algeria's sustainable development strategy, said Debeche, it enables Algeria to expand its presence in Africa by leveraging its transportation infrastructure to promote local products and invest in neighboring African regions like the Sahel, central, and western Africa.