China has urged its national companies to increase their imports of Moroccan agricultural and industrial products and boost their investments in the Kingdom, following a record-breaking trade volume between the two countries exceeding $9 billion in 2024, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.
This announcement came during a regular press conference held by the Ministry of Commerce in Beijing, following the seventh session of the Joint Committee for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Morocco, which took place in the Chinese capital on December 16th, with the participation of high-ranking government officials from both countries.
The Chinese newspaper The Paper reported that the session culminated in a meeting between Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and Moroccan Minister of Industry and Trade Riad Mezouar, dedicated to evaluating the results of bilateral economic cooperation and exploring prospects for its development in the coming period.
The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, He Yadong, affirmed that economic and trade relations between Beijing and Rabat have witnessed rapid development in recent years, noting that the volume of trade reached $9.04 billion in 2024, the highest figure ever recorded in the history of trade relations between the two countries.
The Chinese official explained that this performance reflects the positive dynamism characterizing bilateral cooperation, pointing out that Chinese investments in Morocco are also experiencing gradual growth, particularly through the Tangier Tech City project, within which 40 companies have signed stabilization agreements to date.
Regarding infrastructure, the same spokesperson highlighted that Chinese companies, in partnership with their Moroccan counterparts, have contributed to the completion of several major projects in strategic sectors, including electricity, renewable energy, and transportation, thus strengthening the Kingdom's production and logistical capabilities.
He Yadong noted that the recent meeting between the two countries' trade and industry ministers concluded with a clear alignment between China's Belt and Road Initiative and Morocco's development strategy. He emphasized that the complementarity of the two countries' economic structures opens up broad prospects for strengthening future cooperation.
In this context, China announced its intention to encourage its companies to import more competitive Moroccan products, aiming for a more balanced trade relationship. This includes incentivizing them to expand their investments in Morocco and deepen the integration of production and supply chains between the two sides.
The Chinese official also affirmed that the next phase will see enhanced coordination between government and economic bodies, chambers of commerce, and professional associations, along with promoting the implementation of the "Ten Partnership Initiatives" stemming from the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation within Morocco.
For his part, Moroccan Minister of Industry and Trade, Riadh Mezouar, invited China to engage as a strategic partner in the major projects that the Kingdom intends to undertake in preparation for hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup, in partnership with Spain and Portugal.
This invitation came during the seventh session of the Joint Committee for Economic, Trade, and Technical Cooperation between Morocco and China, held in Beijing and co-chaired by Mezouar and Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Zhang Li. The session reviewed investment opportunities related to major infrastructure projects, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, innovation, and digitalization.
At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides emphasized their commitment to giving new impetus to the Moroccan-Chinese partnership and transforming the strategic dialogue into concrete projects that achieve mutual benefit and enhance the balance of trade between the two countries.
