Morocco and China have explored new prospects to bolster their cooperation in strategic and high value-added sectors,such as infrastructure,industry,energy,innovation,digital technology,renewable energy,tourism,and higher education.
This came during a meeting in Beijing Friday between Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita,who is on a working visit to China,and his Chinese counterpart,Wang Yi.
The meeting highlighted by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing a Morocco–China Strategic Dialogue,a mechanism aimed at enhancing political consultation and defining new horizons for cooperation and diplomatic interaction.
The two officials emphasized that the two countries’ strategic partnership constitutes the solid foundation underpinning a distinguished cooperation,built on solidarity,mutual trust,and reciprocal respect.
The two ministers welcomed the excellence and depth of bilateral relations,and the diversity of cooperation areas,which continue to grow thanks to ambitious initiatives undertaken in political,economic,cultural,and human domains.
Aware of the need to support the momentum of economic exchanges and the upward trend of foreign direct investment,the two ministers stressed the importance of strengthening the legal framework in economic matters,in order to bolster investor confidence on both sides,a key factor in ensuring stability and predictability,especially in the implementation of major projects in promising sectors.
In this regard,they welcomed the ongoing finalization of the revised Bilateral Agreement on the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments,originally signed in 1995. They also agreed to boost Chinese investments in Morocco,strengthen joint industrial partnerships,and promote co-development at the continental level,particularly through tripartite cooperation in favor of Africa.
The two officials particularly welcomed the positive momentum in tourist flows between the two countries,an essential driver of people-to-people connection and a catalyst for economic and human exchanges.
They also agreed to further deepen cultural,academic,and scientific cooperation,including university,language,and artistic exchange programs,in order to strengthen mutual understanding and enhance people-to-people ties.
Both parties highlighted Morocco’s role as an essential regional platform and natural bridge for Sino-African and Sino-Arab cooperation,due to its geostrategic location,political stability,high-quality infrastructure,and diversified partnerships. They also underlined China’s role as a major player in international cooperation and a key partner at the level of Africa and the Arab world.
This meeting also served as an opportunity for an in-depth exchange on matters of vital interest,as well as regional and international issues. In this regard,the two ministers noted a convergence of views on a number of topics,principles,and values,namely those concerning national sovereignty,territorial integrity of States,and the fight against separatism and extremism.
This convergence illustrates the strength of the Morocco–China strategic partnership and the shared desire to actively contribute to a more just,balanced,and inclusive international order.
The two ministers also reaffirmed Morocco and China’s commitment to the primacy of multilateralism,the centrality of the United Nations,and the principles of the UN Charter,including the peaceful settlement of disputes and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
Bourita’s visit to Beijing is part of the ongoing momentum characterizing relations between Morocco and China,since the establishment of the Strategic Partnership by King Mohammed VI and President Xi Jinping,during the royal visit to Beijing in May 2016.
The visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Casablanca on November 21–22,2024,during which he was received by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan,reaffirmed the shared desire to elevate bilateral relations to even higher levels.
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