Chinese premier arrives in Morocco
Morocco-China, Politics, 8/28/2002

China's Premier, Zhu Rongji, arrived in Rabat Tuesday noon on a two-day official visit to Morocco at the invitation of his Moroccan peer Abderrahmane Youssoufi.

The Chinese Premier said in a statement handed to reporters at the airport that the Chinese government attaches great importance to promoting the ties of friendship binding the two countries and sincerely wishes to enlarge the scope of bilateral cooperation.

He said he was confident his current visit to Morocco will push forward the relations of friendship and cooperation between China and Morocco.

He recalled that China and Morocco established diplomatic relations more that forty years ago and that thanks to the principle of mutual respect, equality and reciprocal advantages, the two countries promoted a friendly bilateral cooperation that is fruitful is various areas. He added that consultation and coordination between Rabat and Peking over international issues have been constantly consolidated.

Besides talks with his Moroccan peer, the Chinese Premier and his accompanying delegation will confer with executives of the Confederation Generale des Entreprises du Maroc (CGEM/Moroccan employers' association).

A meeting with the Chinese community settled in Morocco is also scheduled.

In an interview with the Chinese news agency Xinhua on the eve of Zhu Rongji's visit, Youssoufi lauded the quality and intensity of Moroccan-Chinese ties and voiced hope that more efforts be made for balanced Moroccan-Chinese commercial ties.

Bilateral trade between China and Morocco reached US$ 384 million in 2001, up 14.3 percent year on year. In 2001, Morocco imported about 300 million US dollars worth of electronic products, machinery, tea, textile products and garments from China, and exported about 84.35 million US dollars worth of phosphate fertilizer and cobalt ore in sand form.

The two countries are also cooperating in the fisheries industry. Chinese aquatic products companies began to establish joint ventures with Moroccan companies in 1988, and more than 20 fishing companies have so far been set up. China's investment in those ventures has totalled $ 150 million.

In addition, Chinese businessmen have established five processing ventures in Morocco. They include a steel wire factory, a motorcycle assembly works and a garment factory.

Morocco was one of the first African countries to sign a governmental trade pact with China. The two countries have since signed a number of trade and investment agreements.

Meantime, rhe visit of China's Premier, Zhu Rongji, to Morocco was described by Moroccan Prime Minister, Abderrahmane Youssoufi, as a great event.

"I am convinced talks with my Chinese peer will be successful," Youssoufi said in an interview with the Chinese news agency Xinhua, stressing the importance of the visit.

The Moroccan official lauded the quality and intensity of Moroccan-Chinese ties. "In four years, we have concluded 50 agreements. Some thirty were endorsed and ten are about to be endorsed," he said.

Youssoufi voiced hope that more efforts be made for balanced Moroccan-Chinese commercial ties, and emphasized the existence of huge potentials of cooperation and partnership between the two countries.

In the same vein, a leading Chinese trade official said Monday in Beijing China is ready to welcome more Moroccan products to its market and hopes to raise the level of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries to a higher level.

The official from China's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC) was quoted by Xinhuanet as saying that China welcomes all Moroccan products that can sell well into its market.

"China is opening its market wider to the outside world since it became a member of the World Trade Organization," he said. "We hope to work with the Moroccan side to push forward the trade and economic cooperation between our two countries."

Previous Stories:
  King Mohammed sends message to president of China   (7/27/2002)
  King Mohammed sends messages to leaders of China, Singapore   (7/24/2002)
  Investments opportunities in Morocco publicized in China   (5/31/2002)
  Moroccan, Chinese businessmen meet in rabat   (5/23/2002)
  Africa-China partnership probed in Rabat   (5/21/2002)
  Chinese business mission to visit Morocco may 19-24   (5/16/2002)

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