Casablanca– In a bid to bolster agricultural exchanges and diversify their economic collaboration, representatives from Morocco and China convened in Beijing, the Chinese capital, on Wednesday, February 28, 2024. The meeting, attended by delegates from the Chinese government along with numerous Moroccan and Chinese companies, served as a platform to explore the vast potential for cooperation between the two nations, particularly in the agricultural sector where Morocco holds a relative advantage in the expansive market of the Asian giant.
Abdelkader El Ansari, Morocco’s Ambassador to China, emphasized the enduring friendship and cooperation between Rabat and Beijing during the event. He highlighted the strategic partnership established between the two countries, notably following King Mohammed VI’s visit to China in 2016, which marked the inception of a strategic partnership between Morocco and China. El Ansari underscored the significance of this partnership, particularly in economic and trade aspects, evident through numerous cooperation agreements signed between the two nations. Notably, Morocco was among the first Arab countries to sign a cooperation agreement with China under the Belt and Road Initiative.
The agricultural sector, characterized by significant progress in Morocco due to continuous modernization efforts, offers vast opportunities for exploration and utilization by stakeholders from both countries. El Ansari emphasized the necessity of enhancing cooperation between Morocco and China within the context of efforts aimed at enhancing food security. He emphasized that achieving this goal requires intensifying exchanges in specific sectors before expanding cooperation to other promising areas, including modernization, mechanization, digitization, and training.
Highlighting Morocco’s achievements in agricultural sector development, especially through increased openness and foreign investment, the ambassador noted that the groundwork has been laid for a mutually beneficial Moroccan-Chinese agricultural partnership. El Ansari emphasized the significance of reinforcing visits exchange between professionals in the sector to translate the will of the governments of both countries into tangible outcomes.
Furthermore, the participants of the meeting were presented with insights into Moroccan agricultural potential, particularly in the fruit tree sector, along with the advantages offered by Morocco in this domain. The event featured networking sessions between enterprises, during which Chinese stakeholders expressed substantial interest in the Moroccan offering, expressing readiness to collaborate with their Moroccan counterparts to capitalize on the immense opportunities available to the friendly nations.
In a separate statement, Ambassador El Ansari reiterated Morocco’s readiness to position itself as a vital economic partner for China, leveraging the strong bilateral relations and their respective markets. He highlighted Morocco’s efforts to create favorable conditions for foreign investments, including those originating from China, citing the kingdom’s access to a market of approximately 2.4 billion consumers through free trade agreements with various countries. El Ansari expressed Morocco’s openness to receiving more Chinese investments, stressing that the volume of Chinese investments in Morocco remains below the potential of the two countries.
Recent economic figures indicate a significant uptick in trade between Morocco and China, surpassing 50% growth in 2022 to reach a total volume of $7.6 billion. This makes China the third-largest trading partner of the kingdom and its primary partner in Asia. Chinese investments in Morocco in 2022 exceeded $56 million, particularly in sectors such as industry, construction, transportation, real estate, energy, and mining, with the industrial sector accounting for 52% of the total investment.
Ambassador El Ansari emphasized that while the current volume of Chinese investments in Morocco is considerable, it still falls short of the potential of the two countries. He reiterated Morocco’s openness to welcoming more Chinese investments, emphasizing the need to further strengthen economic ties between the two nations.
