Rabat – China’s Ambassador to Morocco Li Changlin spoke of the potential avenues for cooperation between Morocco and China, during a Chinese New Year event in Marrakech.

Speaking to Morocco World News, Changlin said that with more and more Chinese people and investors becoming aware of the North African country, they can expect cooperation with Morocco to increase in the coming years.

“Sino-Moroccan relations have entered a new era since the historic visit in 2016 of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to China,” the diplomat said, stressing their “excellent” relationship across all domains.

Changlin added that investment and tourism will be the most important domains of cooperation between the two countries.

China’s traditional dragon dance being performed during the event.

Tourism can be bolstered as Chinese people are becoming more and more acquainted with Morocco as a country, according to the ambassador. Especially since China followed Morocco’s Cinderella run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

“I think that in the future, Chinese people will arrive in large numbers in Morocco for their affairs, investments, and also for tourism,” he added.

China’s ambassador to Morocco, Li Changlin.

Marcel Thoma, General Manager of Mandarin Oriental Marrakech, where the celebration took place, hailed the parallels in tourism and hospitality between the two countries.

He expressed pride at representing Asian hospitality values to a Moroccan clientele, noting that the culture of the two countries is similar when it comes to how guests are received and treated.

The Mandarin Oriental Marrakech.

Changlin also added that Morocco’s Mohammed V University in Rabat has started offering Chinese language courses, a testament to the potential growth in cooperation between the two countries.

Cultural cooperation

The spread of Chinese languages in Morocco also reflects the cultural ties between the two countries, which the ambassador also hailed.

The Chinese New Year celebration, held in Marrakech’s Mandarin Oriental, was also attended by Dina Othmani, a Moroccan TikTok influencer who has helped spread Moroccan culture in China.

She similarly stressed the importance of the Chinese language, saying that it is “the language of the future.”

The event featured many displays and celebrations of Chinese culture.

Thoma spoke of the hotel’s role in this cultural exchange, recalling how it has hosted events to celebrate the holiday throughout the years.

“Mandarin Oriental has its roots in Asia, and for us it is very important that we celebrate the most important holiday of the year in the Chinese calendar here with the Moroccan community,” he said.

The hotel regularly hosts celebrations of Chinese holidays.

Increased cooperation

Chinese companies are already investing heavily in Morocco, with several in tech and automotive sectors seeing it as an important market to expand into Africa, the Arab World, and even Europe.

Chinese tech giant Huawei repeatedly expressed intentions to kickstart its 5G programs in North Africa through Morocco. Similarly, Chinese car manufacturer Chery upped their efforts to penetrate the Moroccan market last year, seeing it as an important opportunity to strengthen their African presence.

Chinese firms are attempting to enter Morocco’s manufacturing industry as well, with tire company Qingdao Sentury announcing plans to invest nearly $300 million into a factory in Morocco’s Tangier.

XEV is another brand interested in the North African country, having announced plans to manufacture electric vehicles for the European market in the country.

The perceived improvement in  Chinese collaboration with Morocco comes as the North African country attempts to diversify its partnerships and establish ties with new allies. In addition to China, India is one of the countries that have considerably improved their diplomatic and economic  partnerships with Morocco.

With Morocco’s Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch recently representing the country in the China-Arab Cooperation and Development Summit, it appears ties between Beijing and Rabat will only grow stronger over the coming years.