TheBeltandRoadInitiativeheraldsaneweraofcooperationthatwillbenefitall.Moroccoembracestheinitiativefullyandisoptimisticaboutit.
ChinaandMoroccosharealonghistoryoffriendlyexchanges.ThefamousMoroccantravelerIbnBattutasetfootinChinainthe14thcentury,expressingamazementatthegrandeurofChinesecivilization.Attheendofhisextensivetravelsthatlasted29years,Battutanarratedhisadventuresinatravelaccount,dedicatingawholechaptertohisstayinChina.
“MoroccohasalwaysplayedakeyroleinbridgingthegapbetweenChina,EuropeandAfrica,”JaafarAljHakim,MoroccanAmbassadortoChina,toldChinAfrica.“ManyachievementsofancientChinesecivilizationwereintroducedtoEuropeviaMorocco.”
Today,bilateraltiesarecloser,especiallyintheeconomicsector.Lastyear,bilateraltradetotaled$2.51billioninthefirstninemonths.
Toillustratethelong-lastingfriendshipbetweenChinaandMorocco,HakimrecentlysatdownwithChinAfricareporterNiYanshuo,sharinghisviewsonthebilateralrelationshipanditsfuturedevelopment.
ChinAfrica:WhatrolecanMoroccoplayintheSilkRoadEconomicBeltand21stCenturyMaritimeSilkRoadInitiative(BeltandRoadInitiative)proposedbytheChineseGovernment?
JaafarAljHakim:TheBeltandRoadInitiativeistheambitiousvisionofawiseheadofstate.ItisaimedatfosteringcooperationalongthehistoricalSilkRoadandmaritimeroutes.Giventhescaleoftheinitiative,withthemaritimepartspanningthreecontinents,thepotentialoutcomeispromising.TheBeltandRoadInitiativeheraldsaneweraofcooperationthatwillbenefitall.Moroccoembracestheinitiativefullyandisoptimisticaboutit.
MoroccohasstrategicdepthinWestAfrica,builtonhistorical,culturalandreligiousrelations.Itcanplayakeyroleinlinking[WestAfrican]countriestothe21stCenturyMaritimeSilkRoadandopennewopportunitiesinthefast-growingeconomiesofWestAfrica.
TheBeltandRoadInitiativewillbringcountlessopportunitiestoMoroccaneconomy,that’sforsure.MoroccoandChinaarecommittedtoastrategicpartnership,andtheinitiativewilldefinitelyboostthatframework,botheconomicallyandsocially.
SincethelaunchoftheGreenMoroccoPlanin2008,Morocco’sagriculturehasreportedlydevelopedataround7.7percent.WithChinapromotingcooperationwithAfricainagriculturalmodernization,whatcanChinaandMoroccodotopromotemutualagriculturaldevelopmentinthenextthreeyears?
In2008,theMoroccanGovernmentadoptedastrategytodriveandreformtheagriculturalsector,promotetheintegrationofagricultureintointernationalmarketsandhelpagricultureachievesustainablegrowth.ThestrategywascalledtheGreenMoroccoPlan.Itcomprises1,500projectsrequiringover$10billionfortheirimplementationby2020.Moroccoisanagriculture-basedcountry,andasafoundingmemberoftheForumonChina-AfricaCooperation,pushesagriculturalmodernizationupthelistofpriorities.Asfarasagriculturalcooperationisconcerned,anumberofareascouldbeofinterestsuchasirrigation,aquaculture,fertilizers,agriculturalresearchandmechanization.
ChinaandMoroccohavesignedamemorandumofunderstandingtoestablishaChineseculturalcenterinMorocco.Howdoyouseetheculturalexchangesbetweenthetwocountries?
CulturalexchangesandcooperationbetweenMoroccoandChinaareincreasing.Atpresent,therearetwoConfuciusInstitutesinMorocco,andmoreyouthsarelearningChineseastheygetatasteofChinesecultureandtheChinesewayoflifethroughgeographycoursesinhighschool.MorestudentsarecomingtoChinatostudy.Activitiessuchasculturalweekshavebeenheld[inChina]toprovidelocalpeoplewithabetterpictureoflifeinMoroccoandshowcaseitsartformsandrichculturalheritage.