On the evening of November 21, 2024 local time, President Xi Jinping returned to China by special plane after wrapping up his state visit to Brazil, with a technical stopover in Casablanca.
Assigned by Moroccan King Mohammed VI, Moroccan Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch made a special trip to the airport to greet Xi Jinping and held a welcoming ceremony at the airport.
Xi Jinping had a cordial conversation with Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan.
Xi Jinping asked Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan to convey his cordial greetings and best wishes to King Mohammed VI. Xi Jinping pointed out that China and Morocco have witnessed sound development in their relations, with fruitful practical cooperation and increasingly vibrant exchanges in various fields. In 2016, King Mohammed VI paid a state visit to China, during which they held productive talks, bringing China-Morocco relations to a new level. China supports Morocco in maintaining national security and stability and is ready to work with Morocco to continue firmly supporting each other on issues concerning their respective core interests. China is ready to work with Morocco to follow through on the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the 10th ministerial conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, and work for more outcomes from practical cooperation across various fields within the framework of Belt and Road cooperation. Xi Jinping called on the two countries to expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges to enhance public support for bilateral friendship and push for greater development of the China-Morocco strategic partnership.
Moulay El Hassan conveyed the sincere greetings and warm welcome from King Mohammed VI to President Xi Jinping, saying that bilateral relations have maintained a sound development momentum. He thanked China for its valuable support to Morocco during the COVID-19 pandemic, which the Moroccan people will never forget. The Moroccan royal family and government are firmly committed to further developing bilateral relations, and are ready to maintain high-level exchanges with China and strengthen cooperation in various fields. Moulay El Hassan said, the Chinese language and culture are very popular among the Moroccan people. He expressed his hope for promoting bilateral people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Noting that the two countries hold similar positions on many issues, he said that the Moroccan side is ready to work with China to steadfastly support each other in safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and stability.
Cai Qi and Wang Yi, among others, were present at the meeting.