China’s Top Lawmaker Zhao Leji to Visit Morocco Amid Growing Rabat-Beijing Ties

On May 8, 2023

Zhao Leji, the head of China’s legislature, will go to Morocco from May 11 to May 20 as part of a nine-day business trip that also includes visits in Senegal and Malaysia.

Leji’s visit, according to People’s Daily, is being arranged by Rachid Talbi Alam, Speaker of the Moroccan House of Representatives.

The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China is traveling to Morocco at a time when relations between Rabat and Beijing are strengthening.

The two nations collaborate in a variety of important sectors, including economic and political cooperation.

Chinese exports to Morocco totaled $6.43 billion in 2021, with the main goods being broadcasting equipment, vaccines, antisera, poisons, and cultures. These figures are from statistics provided by the Observatory of Economic Complexity.

The observatory said that during the past 26 years, China’s exports to Morocco had grown at an average rate of 15.3%, from $159M in 1995 to $6.43B in 2021.

Morocco’s exports to China in 2021 amounted to $523 million. Copper ore, zinc ore, and refined copper are among China’s top imports from Morocco.

The same observatory revealed trade data that showed Morocco imported 573 million dollars’ worth of goods from China in just March 2023.

Electronics like telephones are among the major exports.

China and Morocco have long stated a desire to further developing their diplomatic and business ties.

King Mohammed VI urged for improved ties between China and the Arab countries in December 2022.

The inaugural China-Arab Summit, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was where the Moroccan king made his request.

The Arab-China alliance “offers possibilities to overcome the repercussions of these multifaceted challenges,” such as COVID-induced crises, armed conflicts, and political instability, King Mohammed VI highlighted in his speech.

The collaboration, the king emphasized, will allow Arab nations to get access to China’s knowledge and experience in a variety of fields, including economy, science, and technology.