JOHANNESBURG -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday met with his Algerian counterpart Ahmed Attaf, with both sides pledging to deepen bilateral cooperation.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa. Wang is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

During the meeting, Wang noted that Algeria is a major African country with significant influence and made special contributions to China's restoration of its lawful seat in the United Nations. The two countries, with profound traditional friendship and fruitful practical cooperation, have established an all-round cooperation pattern.

The foreign minister said that China attaches great importance to its relations with Algeria and supports Algeria in accelerating its development and revitalization to play a more important role in international and regional affairs.

He added that China is ready to work with Algeria to consolidate political mutual trust, continue to support each other in safeguarding their respective core interests, deepen cooperation in various fields, jointly uphold the legitimate rights and interests of Global South countries, and promote an equal and orderly multipolar world.

For his part, Attaf noted that Algeria and China share similar historical experiences and common values and the friendship between the two countries has left many precious historical memories.

Algeria, which firmly supported China in restoring its lawful seat in the United Nations, opposes interference in other countries' internal affairs under the pretext of human rights and appreciates China's steadfast support for Algeria in times of need, he said.

Attaf recalled Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's successful visit to China in 2023, during which Tebboune reached important consensus with Chinese President Xi Jinping, injecting new impetus into the development of bilateral relations.

He further highlighted that the two countries' practical cooperation has achieved numerous highlights and entered a fast-track phase. The Algeria-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission meeting was successfully held and China has become Algeria's largest trading partner.

Noting that Algeria welcomes increased investment from China, Attaf said Algeria is willing to work with China to implement eight major initiatives for practical cooperation between the two countries and deepen cooperation across various fields, particularly in emerging industries, to deliver tangible benefits to both peoples.