Morocco, China call for more comprehensive cooperation
Morocco-China, Politics, 10/29/1999

Morocco and China have both called for more comprehensive cooperation between the two countries and for deeper friendship between the two peoples.

This came at an exchange of toasts in Rabat Thursday during a dinner banquet hosted by King Mohammed VI in honor of visiting President Jiang Zemin of the People's Republic of China.

"We have to work on a cooperation more comprehensive, more varied, in such a way to achieve in the course of the twenty-first century, a very distinctive partnership," King Mohammed VI said.

Echoing the king, the Chinese president said his visit to Morocco aims to "deepen the friendship between the two peoples and promote the bilateral friendly cooperation." "I am sure that this goal will be achieved," he said.

The king noted that trade exchanges, which increased in the few past years, are still short of the two nations' ambitions.

"We note that there has been an increase in the volume of our trade exchange, but not in the proportions we have in mind," he said. "We will have, therefore, to improve on that in accordance with our mutual interest."

King Mohammed VI underlined the "feelings of esteem and consideration" shared by the Chinese and Moroccan peoples. "Such a feeling increased in momentum among the Moroccans as they felt grateful to the Chinese for supporting materially and morally their struggle for freedom and independence," he said.

The king, who recalled the visit he paid to China in 1991 as the crown prince, noted that Morocco hastened, upon gaining its independence, to officially recognize the unity of China under the authority of the people's republic in 1958.

In the same vein, President Zemin said, "Over the past 41 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, steady progress has been made in the friendly cooperation between the two countries in the political, economic and cultural and other fields."

President Zemin noted that the geographical distance separating Morocco and China never prevented the two countries from having a centuries-old friendship.

The earliest record of contact between the two nations dates back to China's Tang Dynasty over 1,000 years ago, he recalled, adding that the stories of Chinese traveller Wang Dayuan's visit to Morocco and Moroccan traveller Ibn Batouta's to China in the 14th century have become a favorite topic in the annals of association between the two peoples.

President Zemin also highlighted the two countries' shared sympathy and support in their struggle for national independence. He recalled, in this vein, that Morocco was among the first African countries to establish diplomatic relations with China.

Previous Stories:
  Chinese president gets royal welcome in Morocco   (10/28/1999)
  Chinese president in Morocco today   (10/27/1999)
  Chinese president's visit to Morocco will boost bilateral ties   (10/20/1999)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search