In a published article entitled “What’s behind China’s deepening engagement with Morocco?”, the American Al Monitor looks at Chinese investments in the fields of infrastructure and technology in Morocco.
Major Chinese railway infrastructure company Shanhaiguan Bridge and leading German railway technology company Vossloh Cogifer won contracts worth $56.2 million in October 2024 to supply key components for the expansion of the high-speed rail network in Morocco.
At the same time, the China Railway Design Corporation launched preliminary design studies for the construction of this line. Like there are the recently signed automotive battery manufacturing projects. “Last year, Morocco and a Chinese company signed a memorandum of understanding worth $6.4 billion to build a large electric car battery factory near Rabat», lit-on encore.
In 2017, Morocco became one of the first countries in Africa and the Arab world to join the Belt and Road Initiative launched by Beijing, as it became an active member of the Asian Investment Bank in infrastructure, led by China in December 2018.
For Ryad Mezzour, Chinese economic investments in Morocco are moving towards a strategic partnership in a “win-win” format, taking into account in particular the availability in Morocco of the largest reserves of phosphate and several minerals which enter into the industry batteries.
Also highlighted is the growing Chinese investment in the Moroccan ICT sector and the accompanying agreements between Huawei and various Moroccan players. “In 2022, China became Morocco’s third trading partner and the first partner in Asia, with a total trade volume reaching $7.6 billion. Currently, Chinese investments in Morocco reach around $56 million», écrit Al Monitor.
Morocco was the third most attractive country for Chinese investment in Africa last year, after Egypt and South Africa. “Currently, the Mohammed VI City of Technology of Tangier, a Chinese-sponsored manufacturing and technology zone outside the coastal city of Tangier in northern Morocco, is home to dozens of Chinese companies“, we indicate.
And Morocco has a promising environment for developing labor-intensive industrial production, giving it an advantage in transferring manufacturing potential from China to Morocco. Without forgetting that the Kingdom has become “China’s main gateway to North and West Africa» and it is a popular destination for Chinese tourists, who can stay there without a visa for 90 days.
