Rabat – Moroccan Health Minister Anas Doukkali met, on Sunday, August 18th, with Chinese officials from the National Health Commission. At the meeting, held during the visit of the minister to the University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Shanghai, the minister and the Chinese officials discussed the possibility of creating a Chinese-Moroccan center for traditional medicine in Casablanca in the future.
The director of university hospitals in the Chinese National Health Commission mentioned that the potential center would specialize in traditional medicine in its three dimensions: treatment, training, and scientific research. He also noted that this institution would be a reference center in North Africa.
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The Moroccan health minister emphasized the importance of opening up to the Chinese experiences in the field of traditional medicine, adding that Morocco has great potential in the field of medicinal plants. He also announced a future agreement to implement training sessions in this domain, between the University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Shanghai and Hassan II University in Casablanca.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 2nd Chinese-Arab Health Forum, which was organized in Beijing, from August 16th to 18th, and represented an opportunity for Chinese officials, health ministers, and other representatives from different Arab countries to exchange experiences in the domain of health.
The project, which is still in the conception phase, would be part of the “Belt and Road Initiative”, a global development strategy adopted by the Chinese government. The initiative aims to develop infrastructure and investments in 152 countries and international organizations. It would also consolidate the friendly, collaborative relationship between Morocco and China. Bilateral relations between the two countries were strengthened after King Mohammed VI’s visit to China in May 2016.
