Algerian Army Seeks China’s Expertise in Drone Manufacturing

The Algerian army commander visits China (Algerian Ministry of Defense)
The Algerian army commander visits China (Algerian Ministry of Defense)
TT

Algerian Army Seeks China’s Expertise in Drone Manufacturing

The Algerian army commander visits China (Algerian Ministry of Defense)
The Algerian army commander visits China (Algerian Ministry of Defense)

Algerian Army chief Gen. Said Chanegriha discussed Tuesday in Beijing a diverse military partnership with the Chinese military industry in the field of drones and the management of defense and security systems.

On the third day of his official visit to China, Chanegriha and a delegation from the Algerian Defense Ministry held talks with high-ranking officials from the state-owned enterprise Poly Technologies specialized in the production, import and export of civil and military equipment.

Media sources said the Algerian army hopes to benefit from the knowledge and expertise of Chinese companies that supply the Chinese army with military equipment and technology, through commercial partnerships that will allow Algeria to modernize its army and to reduce dependence on its traditional supplier, the Russian military industry.

The sources also said that Chanegriha was particularly interested in the Aerospace Shenzhou Aerial Vehicle Co., which he visited.

The company is specialized in the production of various equipment related to the installation of drones and space devices.

In recent years, it achieved impressive technical progress, according to experts in the field.

Supervisors at the Algerian defense sector plan to launch a partnership with the company to develop the assembly, research and training activities of the emerging Algerian military industry in the field of drones.

The goal of this endeavor is to lead the North African and Arab Maghreb regions in the use and development of drones.

On Monday, Chanegriha met with General Liu Zhenli, Chief of Staff of China’s Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission.

Chanegriha highlighted the longstanding and excellent relations between Algeria and China, dating back to the revolution of November 1, 1954.

He emphasized China’s early support for Algeria’s struggle for self-determination and its recognition of the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic in 1958.

Chanegriha underscored that the robust ties between Algeria and China reflect common solidarity for sovereignty, independence, and the recovery of sovereign rights.

He noted that these ties remain relevant in the current global landscape, emphasizing the need for justice, freedom, and cooperation in a multipolar world.



Pope Calls Situation in Gaza 'Shameful'

Palestinians carry the dead body of a child, at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, January 9, 2025. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
Palestinians carry the dead body of a child, at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, January 9, 2025. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
TT

Pope Calls Situation in Gaza 'Shameful'

Palestinians carry the dead body of a child, at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, January 9, 2025. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
Palestinians carry the dead body of a child, at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, January 9, 2025. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed

Pope Francis on Thursday stepped up his recent criticisms of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, calling the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave "very serious and shameful.”

In a yearly address to diplomats delivered on his behalf by an aide, Francis appeared to reference deaths caused by winter cold in Gaza, where there is almost no electricity.

"We cannot in any way accept the bombing of civilians," the text said, according to Reuters.
"We cannot accept that children are freezing to death because hospitals have been destroyed or a country's energy network has been hit."

The pope, 88, was present for the address but asked an aide to read it for him as he is recovering from a cold.

The comments were part of an address to Vatican-accredited envoys from some 184 countries that is sometimes called the pope's 'state of the world' speech. The Israeli ambassador to the Holy See was among those present for the event.

Francis, leader of the 1.4-billion-member Roman Catholic Church, is usually careful about taking sides in conflicts.
But he has recently been more outspoken about Israel's military campaign against Palestinian militant group Hamas, and has suggested
the global community should study whether the offensive constitutes a genocide of the Palestinian people.
An Israeli government minister publicly denounced the pontiff in December for that suggestion.

The pope's text said he condemns anti-Semitism, and called the growth of anti-Semitic groups "a source of deep concern."
Francis also called for an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia, which has killed tens of thousands.