Industry Minister Reiterates Morocco’s Commitment to Bolstering Economic Ties with China
Morocco’s Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour, reiterated on Monday Morocco’s commitment to bolstering its economic ties with China as part of the China–Arab States Cooperation Forum.
In a video address during the opening ceremony of the 11th Entrepreneurs Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum and the 9th Investment Seminar, held in Haikou, capital of China’s Hainan province, Mezzour welcomed Morocco’s designation as guest of honor for this edition, considering it a reflection of the Kingdom’s position as a strategic partner of China.
He recalled the historic visit of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to Beijing in 2016, which injected new momentum into bilateral relations, culminating in the signing of a Strategic Partnership Declaration between the two countries.
Mezzour noted that Morocco was among the first Arab nations to join the Belt and Road Initiative, emphasizing that Sino-Moroccan cooperation is now visibly embodied in the industrial, energy, and logistics sectors.
He highlighted the significant progress achieved by Morocco over the past twenty-five years under the reign of HM King Mohammed VI, citing the development of world-class infrastructure such as the high-speed rail line connecting Casablanca and Tangier, as well as the Tanger Med port complex.
The minister also underlined Morocco’s advantageous geostrategic position at the crossroads of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, granting access to a market of 2.4 billion consumers.
Morocco is witnessing growing inflows of international investors, he said, attributing this to its policy of economic openness, reforms in the legal and financial sectors, the establishment of special economic zones such as Casablanca Finance City, and state support for projects promising for the national economy.
This openness, he added, is further strengthened by regional integration policies and solid partnerships, particularly within the framework of cooperation with Arab brother countries, which remains a strategic priority for the Kingdom.
Mezzour proposed, in this context, the development of a Sino-Arab digital platform aimed at facilitating interactions between entrepreneurs from both sides and establishing connections between investors and project developers.
He also advocated for the implementation of training programs focused on artificial intelligence and the green economy to equip young talents with the skills required to meet the demands of the global market.
He called for the creation of support mechanisms for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), describing them as the “backbone of Arab economies,” including dedicated investment funds and technical support to facilitate their international expansion.
Mezzour further stressed the importance of strengthening partnerships between the public and private sectors to foster the exchange of expertise and benefit from China’s experience in industrial development.
La rédaction/Le7tv
