Moroccan Ambassador El Ansari Welcomes Quality of Partnership with China
Economy
Morocco's Ambassador to Beijing, Abdelkader El Ansari, presented the country's advantages and the prospects of the multi-sectoral economic partnership with China, which has become one of the main investors in the Kingdom in high-value-added sectors over the years.
During a meeting held as part of the Moroccan-Chinese Festival of Culture and Sports, Mr.
El Ansari highlighted the depth and dynamism of bilateral relations, noting that China has been Morocco's third-largest trading partner globally for years, with a volume of over $10 billion in exchanges, and its first economic partner in the Asia-Oceania region.
Addressing a gathering of Chinese journalists and economic operators, the diplomat emphasized that Sino-Moroccan ties, dating back to the 14th-century voyages of Ibn Battouta and Chinese navigator Wang Dayuan to Morocco, are based on solid and institutionalized foundations since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1958, up to King Mohammed VI's visit to China in May 2016, during which a declaration was signed establishing the Strategic Partnership between the two countries.
This dynamic was confirmed in September 2025 by the signing of a memorandum of understanding establishing a strategic dialogue between the two foreign ministries, and in December 2025 by the holding of the seventh session of the Morocco-China Mixed Commission for Economic, Commercial, and Technical Cooperation, he recalled.
The ambassador highlighted Morocco's economic performance and the sectoral advantages and incentives offered to Chinese investors, citing the automotive sector, which has made Morocco the continent's top producer and exporter, with exports reaching $14.1 billion in 2024 and a installed capacity of one million vehicles, as well as the aerospace sector, which has placed the Kingdom in the fifth position worldwide in terms of attractiveness for foreign direct investment in this field.
The presentation also listed potentialities in other sectors of activity, such as textiles, agriculture, and digital.
Mr.
El Ansari also noted that the total stock of foreign direct investment in Morocco reached $61.5 billion in 2024, with annual growth prospects of over 20% over the 2025-2028 period, driven by major projects related to the 2030 World Cup.
Speaking about Chinese economic presence in Morocco, the ambassador said that over a hundred Chinese companies are now operating in the Kingdom in strategic sectors such as the automotive industry, advanced technologies, and renewable energies.
He also emphasized the remarkable growth of human ties between the two countries, illustrated by the sustained increase in the number of Moroccan students in China, which is approaching 16,000 for the 2025-2026 academic year, as well as the growing influx of Chinese tourists to Morocco, with 200,000 visitors in 2025, thanks to the visa exemption in force since 2016 and direct flights between Casablanca and Beijing and Shanghai.
The Moroccan-Chinese Festival of Culture and Sports, held on Saturday and Sunday, was organized by the Moroccan Embassy in partnership with a prestigious multidisciplinary sports center in Beijing and in collaboration with the Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT) representation in China and the Morocco-China Business Council affiliated with the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM).
Held on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the King's visit to China and the signing of the Declaration establishing the Strategic Partnership, the festival aimed to promote cultural and sports exchanges between the two countries and to strengthen their economic and strategic ties.