ALGIERS, Nov. 1 -- The China-Algeria relationship has developed at a high level, featuring solid connotations and bright prospects, Chinese ambassador to Algeria said here Friday prior to a top Chinese official's friendly visit to the North African country.

The China-Algeria friendship has a long history, Yang Guangyu told Xinhua in an interview, saying bilateral ties have developed smoothly for more than half a century since the two countries established diplomatic relations.

Yang said the first generation of Chinese leaders offered great support for Algeria's struggle for national liberation in 1950s, and China was one of the first countries to recognize its independence.

In return, Algeria made significant efforts to help China restore its legal seat in the United Nations, Yang added.

He recalled the moment he submitted his credentials to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Oct. 27, when the president said: "History has proved that China is a reliable friend, and I am proud of my contribution to this friendship when I was young."

Serving as foreign minister in 1971, Bouteflika witnessed that his country sponsored an initiative to help China regain its legal seat in the UN.

In recent years, bilateral cooperation in the trade and economic sector has been booming, Yang said. Since 2013, China has become Algeria's largest source of imports, with two-way trade volume increasing by 10 times over the past decade.

Meanwhile, Algeria has become one of the biggest markets for China's overseas construction contractors, as hundreds of Chinese companies are undertaking in the country various construction projects, including highways, mosques, international convention and exhibition centers, hospitals as well as numerous residential housing units.

China has transfered technologies and equipment to Algeria, and created a lot of job opportunities for local people through construction contracts, Yang said, adding the two sides will increase cooperation in railway projects in the future.

In February this year, Algeria became the first Arab country to forge a comprehensive strategic partnership with China, which can fully testify the close relations between the two countries, Yang said.

In his opinion, the China-Algeria relationship is typically cooperative and mutually beneficial, Yang said.

Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, is to start his official friendly visit to Algeria on Saturday. He is the first Chinese leader to visit Algeria in six years.

Yang said the visit, which coincides with the 60th anniversary of the founding of Algeria, would help lift the bilateral ties to a new high.

The two countries enjoy great potential and strong momentum in the "1+2+3" cooperation framework, advocated by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in June, as the North African country with rich resources of oil and gas and foreign reserves needs to cooperate with other countries in its modernization drive.

The "1" in the "1+2+3" cooperation framework refers to energy cooperation as the main axis; "2" refers to infrastructure construction and trade and investment facilitation; and "3" means breakthroughs need to be made in the three hi-tech areas of nuclear energy, aerospace satellite and new energy.

As for people-to-people exchanges, the ambassador said Algerians are interested in the Chinese language and culture, as more and more students have gone to China to study.