Morocco

Note: This column mainly includes countries along the Belt and Road and countries that have signed cooperation agreements with China on Belt and Road Initiative.

In 2013, the friendly and cooperative relations between the People's Republic of China and the Kingdom of Morocco continued to deepen.

The two countries enjoyed frequent political exchanges. In May, Vice Minister of Civil Affairs Jiang Li visited Morocco. In September, Vice Governor of Guangdong Province Deng Haiguang and member of the Foreign Policy Advisory Committee of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Ji Peiding visited Morocco respectively. President Li Xiaolin of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and Mayor of Guangzhou Chen Jianhua attended the fourth World Congress of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) in Rabat, Morocco. In December, Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Morocco. He met with King Mohammed VI and Head of Government Abdelilah Benkirane, and had talks with Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Salah Eddine Mezouar. During the visit, the two sides signed the Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation Between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Agreement Between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco on Mutual Visa Exemption for Holders of Diplomatic and Service Passports. In April, Taib El Fassi Fihri, Special Envoy and Advisor of King Mohammed VI, Saad-Eddine El Othmani, then Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, and Mohamed Yassine Mansouri, Director General of Studies and Documentation, visited China.

Economic and trade relations between the two countries developed steadily. Two-way trade continued to grow. Mutually beneficial cooperation in fishery, communications and project contracting continued to deepen. Cooperation in finance and new energy gradually unfolded. In August, Vice Agriculture Minister Niu Dun visited Morocco.

Exchanges and cooperation in culture, sports, education and military fields continued to expand. In March, Vice President of the International Olympic Committee Yu Zaiqing and Vice Minister of State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television Tian Jin visited Morocco. In June, Vice Minister of General Administration of Sport of China Xiao Tian led a Chinese martial arts delegation to Morocco. In October, Vice Minister of State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television Tong Gang led a delegation to Morocco and held an exhibition on Chinese films in Morocco. In January, the Confucius Institute at University Hassan II in Casablanca, Morocco, was unveiled. In April, the Center for African Studies at Peking University of China and the Institute of African Studies of Mohammed V University of Morocco joined the China-Africa Think Tanks 10+10 Partnership. In April, the 13th escort fleet of the Chinese navy visited Morocco.