China’s top legislator Zhao Leji will visit Morocco as part of a nine-day working trip that will include stops in Senegal and Malaysia from May 11-20.
According to People’s Daily, Leji’s visit is at the request of Rachid Talbi Alam, the Speaker of Morocco’s House of Representatives.
The visit of China’s Chairman of the Standing Committee of National People’s Congress to Morocco comes amid growing ties between Rabat and Beijing.
The two countries cooperate in different key industries, including political cooperation and trade.
According to data compiled by the Observatory of Economic Complexity, Chinese exports to Morocco reached $6.43 billion in 2021, with the main products including vaccines, antisera, toxins and cultures, as well as broadcasting equipment.
“During the last 26 years the exports of China to Morocco have increased at an annual rate of 15.3%, from $159M in 1995 to $6.43B in 2021,” the observatory said.
Meanwhile, Morocco’s exports to China totalled $523 million in 2021. The main products China imported from Morocco include Copper Ore, Zinc Ore, and Refined Copper.
The same observatory shared trade data, showing Morocco’s imports from China totaling 573$ million in March 2023 alone.
The top exports include electronics such as telephones.
Morocco and China have long expressed determination to continue to strengthen their diplomatic and commercial ties.
In December 2022, King Mohammed VI called for strengthening relations between the Arab world and China.
The Moroccan monarch made his appeal during a speech at the first China-Arab Summit, which took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In his speech, King Mohammed VI emphasized that the Arab-China partnership “offers possibilities to overcome the repercussions of these multifaceted challenges,” including COVID-induced crises, armed conflicts, and political instability.
The monarch also stressed that the partnership would enable Arab countries to benefit from China’s knowledge and expertise in a wide range of sectors, including economy, science, and technology.
