Morocco is steadily advancing in strengthening its economic relations and partnerships with China, while maintaining its traditional partnerships with other international powers such as the United States and European Union countries. This strategy is part of Morocco's policy of "diversifying partners and allies," with Moroccan interests at the forefront.
In this context, a report published by the French newspaper Le Monde highlighted Morocco's approach to enhancing its diverse partnerships. China has emerged in recent years as a key international player in Morocco's economic relations. The report noted that trade exchanges between the two countries have increased significantly since 2007, reaching $8 billion in 2023.
According to the report, Morocco and China share mutual economic interests. Morocco aims to build a strong electric vehicle industry, while Beijing seeks to "bypass the tariffs" recently imposed by Washington and Brussels on its exports in this sector.
What distinguishes Morocco, according to Le Monde, is its strategic geographic location, along with its wealth of minerals essential for the production of electric vehicles and batteries, particularly phosphate, which is a key component for lithium batteries.
However, the relationship between Morocco and China is not limited to the economic sphere. It extends into the political domain, where there is alignment between Rabat and Beijing, especially concerning their territorial integrity. Morocco supports the "One China" policy, and regarding the Sahara issue, "China remains a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and has maintained a neutral stance on this matter, which is seen as positive for Morocco."
Nonetheless, the French newspaper pointed out that the Chinese ambassador to Rabat, Zhang Lin, stated that "this issue is a permanent topic in my discussions with Moroccan officials," indicating ongoing discussions between Morocco and China to push Beijing towards taking a more explicit stance in support of Rabat on the Sahara issue.
Le Monde also noted that Morocco's relationship with China differs from that of other African countries, which are burdened by Chinese debt and heavily reliant on China for loans. In contrast, Morocco's relations with China are "based on practical grounds." Morocco does not fully lean towards China and continues its traditional partnerships with France, Spain, the United States, and more recently, Israel.
The French newspaper further emphasized that Morocco's policy of diversifying its allies extends to cooperation and military alliances with China and Russia, making it distinct from other countries that follow a more unilateral path in their relations with major global powers.
It is worth mentioning that during the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, Morocco invited China to contribute to the Moroccan Atlantic initiative, which aims to provide Atlantic access for several African countries through the Moroccan Sahara, and to support the Moroccan-Nigerian gas pipeline project, which crosses several African countries.
Morocco had previously called on the United States and European countries to contribute to these two projects, as part of its efforts to achieve integration and prosperity for the African continent, believing that the region's development serves the interests of Europe, the United States, and China.
