Editor's Note: After escaping the colonial yoke and gaining independence in 1962, Algeria has been a key player in liberation movements around the world, most recently with Palestine. China is the first non-Arab country to recognize the interim government of Algeria, which in turn helped China regain its legitimate seat at the UN in 1971. China and Algeria have a profound traditional friendship, and China has early on provided assistance, from sending its first medical team abroad to help post-war Algeria rebuild its medical and healthcare services in 1963, up to present-day colossal cooperation projects in infrastructure and mining. In this edition of Leaders Talk, CMG's Li Tongtong sat with Abdelmadjid Tebboune, President of Algeria, to discuss bilateral relations and also what Algeria can learn from China's development path. President Tebboune says that Algeria's role in Africa is similar to China's role in the world and praises President Xi's governance and its recent initiatives. He rejects the "debt-trap diplomacy" narrative and allegations of "neo-colonialism," and notes that China’s partnership in Algeria comes with no strings attached.