Morocco-China: Strengthened Cooperation in Beijing
Seventh Session of Joint Economic, Trade, and Technical Cooperation Commission Held in Beijing
The seventh session of the Joint Commission for Economic, Trade, and Technical Cooperation between the Kingdom of Morocco and the People’s Republic of China took place on Tuesday in Beijing.
This session’s discussions are part of the ongoing follow-up of the comprehensive strategic partnership established between Morocco and China in 2016. The meeting was co-chaired by Ryad Mezzour, Morocco’s Minister of Industry and Trade, and Zhang Li, Vice Minister of Commerce of China.
Attending the meeting was a significant Moroccan delegation made up of representatives from various ministerial departments, as well as Abdelkader El Ansari, Morocco’s Ambassador to China.
This high-level session underscores the mutual desire of both countries to continue and deepen the strategic dialogue initiated by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, and President Xi Jinping, thus strengthening the ties between two nations with millennia-old traditions.
On this occasion, the Chinese side expressed its appreciation for the progress Morocco has made in economic development. It particularly lauded the vision of His Majesty the King, describing it as “insightful, supportive, and committed.”
In this regard, Mr. Mezzour presented the major structural projects of the Kingdom, driven by the Sovereign’s vision, which demonstrate the modernization and development momentum characterizing Morocco.
He also highlighted the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco will co-host alongside Spain and Portugal, stressing the significant investment opportunities that this major event presents.
The African dimension of the Sino-Moroccan partnership held a prominent place during discussions, with in-depth conversations about Morocco’s role as a hub in Africa and its strategic position for enhancing China-Africa relations within the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
The parties also discussed ways to revitalize the bilateral partnership by leveraging the considerable potential of their economies.
Consequently, both sides paid particular attention to balancing bilateral trade flows, focusing on mechanisms that could further open the Chinese market to Moroccan exports within a win-win partnership spirit.
Opportunities for cooperation in several strategic sectors were central to the discussions. Infrastructure, technological innovation, digitalization, and connectivity are among the priority areas identified by both parties, aiming to fully capitalize on the complementarity of their value chains.
Additionally, the exchanges encompassed other promising areas such as development strategies, economic, trade, industrial, and customs cooperation, investment, higher education, tourism, and renewable energies.
At the conclusion of the Joint Commission’s deliberations, both parties committed to renewing the strategic partnership between Morocco and China, reaffirming their determination to transform dialogue into tangible and mutually beneficial achievements.
On the sidelines of this session, Mr. Mezzour held bilateral meetings with Wang Wentao, the Chinese Minister of Commerce, and Xiong Jijun, Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology.
Mr. Wang expressed satisfaction regarding his visit to Morocco in 2024, calling for enhanced trade exchanges and encouraging mutual investments.
For his part, Mr. Mezzour invited Chinese authorities to fully leverage Morocco’s competitive advantages, highlighting the quality of its human resources, the country’s connectivity, and its political and economic stability, which stem from the visionary policies implemented under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
