Morocco and China Deepen Partnership Through Strategic Dialogue

Beijing, 22nd September 2025

Sino-Moroccan relations have entered a new phase of enhanced cooperation with the establishment of a Strategic Dialogue between the two foreign ministries, following the visit of Morocco's Foreign Minister to China on Friday.

The Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Dialogue, signed between the two sides, marks a new milestone in fostering relations between the two friendly and strategic partner countries.

This institutional mechanism further deepens Sino-Moroccan relations, which have been flourishing since the visit of King Mohammed VI to Beijing in May 2016. That visit marked a turning point in bilateral relations, leading to the establishment of a Strategic Partnership, formalized through the signing of 13 agreements spanning diverse sectors such as economy, industry, agriculture, energy, and cultural cooperation.

Among the concrete outcomes of this visit are the launch of the Mohammed VI Tangier Tech City, an ambitious smart industrial city project, and the removal of visa requirements for Chinese citizens traveling to Morocco.

These two major decisions reflect the strategic vision behind the bilateral partnership. Tangier Tech City reinforces Morocco’s position as a destination for Chinese investment by providing modern, integrated infrastructure that supports the long-term establishment of Chinese enterprises in the Kingdom.

Meanwhile, the visa waiver has significantly strengthened cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two nations. This measure has not only facilitated tourism but also academic, professional, and personal exchanges that help forge deep and lasting ties.

The strength of this partnership was particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Sino-Moroccan cooperation stood out as exemplary. Morocco was among the first African countries to receive Sinopharm vaccines, enabling the launch of a large-scale vaccination campaign that positioned the Kingdom among global leaders in terms of coverage.

The visit of President Xi Jinping to Casablanca on November 21–22, 2024—where he was received by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan on behalf of King Mohammed VI—reaffirmed the shared desire to elevate bilateral relations to new heights.

This shared political will swiftly translated into major industrial projects, such as the battery gigafactory in Kenitra, currently under construction by Gotion High Tech, with a total investment of $1.3 billion and commissioning scheduled for 2026.

The cooperation also extends to the tourism sector, with Morocco aiming to attract nearly one million Chinese tourists by 2030. This ambition is supported by the launch this year of direct air links between the two countries, operated by Royal Air Maroc (Casablanca–Beijing) and China Eastern Airlines (Casablanca–Shanghai).

Today, China ranks as Morocco’s third-largest foreign investor, with net foreign direct investment flows exceeding $2 billion in 2024. These investments span high-value sectors such as automotive manufacturing, renewable energy, textiles, and green industries.

The establishment of the Strategic Dialogue thus formalizes a shared vision for the future—one that further strengthens the foundations of Sino-Moroccan cooperation, rooted in solidarity, mutual trust, and reciprocal respect.

 Source: Official National News Agency of Morocco.