Casablanca – Economic relations between Morocco and China continue to expand, supported by rising trade, growing investment flows, and increasing cooperation in strategic sectors such as automotive manufacturing, renewable energy, infrastructure, tourism, and higher education.
Recent discussions held in Beijing during the Moroccan-Chinese Festival of Culture and Sports highlighted the strong momentum of bilateral relations and Morocco’s efforts to position itself as a preferred destination for Chinese investment and industrial partnerships.
China has become Morocco’s third-largest trading partner worldwide and its leading economic partner in Asia and Oceania. Annual trade between the two countries now exceeds $10 billion, underscoring the growing importance of the relationship within Morocco’s broader strategy to diversify its international partnerships and attract foreign capital.
A decade of strategic partnership
Relations between Rabat and Beijing have gained significant momentum since the 2016 state visit of King Mohammed VI to China. During that visit, the two countries signed a joint declaration establishing a strategic partnership designed to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, industry, and cultural exchanges.
The foundations of the relationship are older, however. Diplomatic ties were officially established in 1958, while both countries often point to historical exchanges dating back to the 14th century, including the travels of Ibn Battuta to China and Chinese navigator Wang Dayuan to Morocco.
Institutional cooperation intensified in 2025. In September, Morocco and China signed a memorandum of understanding to create a strategic dialogue between their foreign ministries. In December, the seventh session of the Moroccan-Chinese Joint Commission for Economic, Trade, and Technical Cooperation was held to identify new areas for collaboration.
Morocco promotes its industrial strengths
Morocco is increasingly presenting itself as a competitive industrial and logistics hub linking Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Several sectors are attracting growing interest from Chinese companies, including automotive manufacturing, aerospace, textiles, agriculture, and digital technologies.
The automotive sector remains the most prominent example of Morocco’s industrial transformation. The Kingdom is now Africa’s leading producer and exporter of vehicles, with automotive exports reaching $14.1 billion in 2024 and annual production capacity approaching one million vehicles.
Morocco has also built a strong aerospace ecosystem and is ranked among the world’s most attractive destinations for foreign direct investment in the sector.
In parallel, the country continues to promote opportunities in agribusiness, textile production, and digital services as part of efforts to diversify its industrial base and strengthen its technological capabilities.
Foreign investment expected to accelerate
Morocco’s total stock of foreign direct investment reached $61.5 billion in 2024.
Authorities expect average annual growth exceeding 20 percent between 2025 and 2028, driven in part by major infrastructure and development projects linked to the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
These projects include transportation upgrades, tourism infrastructure, and urban modernization, all of which are expected to create additional opportunities for international investors.
Chinese companies expand their presence
China’s business presence in Morocco has grown steadily over the past decade.
Around 100 Chinese companies are currently operating in the Kingdom, particularly in automotive manufacturing, advanced technologies, and renewable energy.
Morocco’s strategic location, extensive free trade agreements, and improving industrial infrastructure have made it an attractive platform for Chinese firms seeking access to European, African, and Middle Eastern markets.
Cooperation in renewable energy is also becoming increasingly important, as Morocco advances solar, wind, and green hydrogen projects while China remains a global leader in clean energy technologies.
Educational and tourism exchanges continue to grow
Economic cooperation is being reinforced by stronger human and cultural ties.
Nearly 16,000 Moroccan students are enrolled in Chinese universities during the 2025–2026 academic year, reflecting expanding academic exchanges and educational cooperation.
Tourism has also shown robust growth. Morocco welcomed approximately 200,000 Chinese visitors in 2025, supported by the visa exemption introduced for Chinese citizens in 2016 and direct flights linking Casablanca with Beijing and Shanghai.
These growing people-to-people exchanges are helping strengthen mutual understanding and open new commercial opportunities.
Beijing festival showcases Morocco’s potential
The Moroccan-Chinese Festival of Culture and Sports served as both a cultural celebration and a business promotion platform.
Organized by the Moroccan Embassy in Beijing in partnership with the Moroccan National Tourist Office and the Moroccan-Chinese Business Council affiliated with the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises, the event featured business meetings, exhibitions of Moroccan regional products, networking sessions with Chinese companies, sports competitions, folklore performances, and a fashion show celebrating the Moroccan caftan.
A relationship with growing strategic importance
The steady expansion of trade, investment, tourism, and educational exchanges underscores the increasingly strategic role of Morocco-China relations.
For Morocco, China represents an important source of industrial investment, technology transfer, and access to Asian markets. For China, Morocco offers a politically stable and geographically strategic gateway to Europe, Africa, and the Atlantic region.
With bilateral trade exceeding $10 billion and cooperation extending across a wide range of sectors, the partnership between Morocco and China is becoming an increasingly significant pillar of both countries’ long-term economic strategies.
