Marruecos, dispuesto a profundizar la asociación con China

Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent visit to Saudi Arabia ushered in a new era in relations between Beijing and the Arab world. In Riyadh, Xi expressed his desire to "work with Saudi Arabia and Arab states", raising those ties "to new heights", a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said.

With the aim of starting work on this new stage, Riyadh and Beijing signed a "comprehensive strategic partnership agreement" to deepen bilateral collaboration in different areas. The Chinese president has also held meetings with other Arab League countries, as well as with members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Also during the Sino-Arab summit, Morocco called for strengthening and consolidating cooperation with China in a wide range of sectors, reports Morocco World News. Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch conveyed King Mohamed VI's desire to deepen ties with the Asian giant.

The Moroccan monarch called the meeting a "historic event", saying it would further boost "long-standing relations between the Arab world and China". "The summit gives us the opportunity to explore future prospects for the establishment of a special partnership that would occupy a prominent place in the Arab region's relations with its various partners, be they countries, regional or continental groupings or organisations," said Mohamed VI.

The King recalled the cultural and historical relations between China and the Arab world, highlighting for example the ancient Silk Road that connected Asia with Europe for centuries. "These ties not only link the past with the present, but also allow us to move towards innovative and continuous cooperation," he said. In this regard, Mohammed VI highlighted the Belt and Road Initiative - a Chinese project that seeks to connect Asia with Africa and Europe via land and sea routes - which he defined as "one of the most promising prospects" for Sino-Arab relations.

Closer ties between China and Arab countries would also offer possibilities "to overcome the repercussions of current challenges", such as the coronavirus pandemic, conflicts or political instability. Such cooperation would also allow Arab nations to benefit from Beijing's expertise and experience in various sectors such as economics, science and technology.

Mohamed VI used the summit to reiterate Morocco's commitment to "the promotion of South-South cooperation and the diversification of partnerships on issues of common interest", as well as to "the just and legitimate causes of Arab countries". "The aim is to help generate a more equitable and balanced global political and economic system, ensuring full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, as well as non-interference in their affairs," he added.

Despite China being the Arab countries' largest economic partner, both sides are keen to further deepen trade relations. Mohamed VI, for example, lamented that trade "has yet to live up to the potential for growth", reports The North Africa Post. "There is also a significant deficit in terms of Arab exports to China, with the exception of oil and gas," said the monarch, who called for the development of Arab industry, as well as its agricultural and service sectors.

The king also called for measures to increase tourism flows in both directions to achieve "greater interaction between the Arab and Chinese peoples", as the number of Chinese tourists visiting Arab countries remains lower than the number of Arab tourists visiting the Asian power.