This session, which is part of the initiative of the province of Shandong called "Bridge to Africa", was attended by representatives of more than 80 Chinese companies who came to learn about investment opportunities in Morocco.

Speaking on this occasion, the Moroccan ambassador to China, Aziz Mekouar, stressed that this kind of meeting is likely to deepen the bonds of friendship and mutual understanding between the two countries.

He said he was honored that Morocco was the first African country invited to the birth of the new platform "Bridge to Africa" which draws, he said, its strength in the fraternal and long-standing ties between China and the African continent.

The "Morocco-Shandong Dialogue", the first of its kind between the Kingdom and a Chinese province, draws its essence from the excellent relations between Morocco and China, said the ambassador, noting that these ties have always been marked by friendship, understanding and mutual respect.

Recalling the recent celebration of the 63rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Morocco and China, Mekouar noted that HM King Mohammed VI and President Xi Jinping had already set the stage for the renewal of this exemplary relationship in May 2016 during the visit of the Sovereign to Beijing.

For her part, Yang PeiPei, Economic Advisor to the Chinese Embassy in Rabat, said the meeting provides a space for fruitful exchange between the various stakeholders on business opportunities in Morocco and to build on the great potential of Chinese-Moroccan cooperation through the platform "Bridge to Africa".

She noted that Morocco enjoys a geostrategic position that allows it to fully play the role of link between Europe, Africa, the Middle East and America.

Recalling the progress achieved by Morocco in many sectors of economic activity including agriculture, fisheries, automotive, tourism and renewable energy, the Chinese diplomat stressed that Morocco has recently adopted a new development model that has yielded positive results.

The signing in January of the Implementation Plan for the Joint Construction of the Belt and Road opens a new chapter in Chinese-Moroccan economic cooperation, she said.

Citing Chinese customs statistics, the diplomat said that the volume of bilateral trade between Morocco and China reached a record high in 2021 at $6.52 billion, with a year-on-year growth of 36.6 percent.

Chinese imports from Morocco have, meanwhile, increased by 38.5 pc, she said.

Yang welcomed the efforts made by Morocco, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Important positive results have been achieved in this fight, she said, highlighting the cooperation between Morocco and China in research and development of vaccines.