AT a meeting in Beijing on November 17, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and Moroccan minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Nasser Bourita, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the Belt Road initiative.

Wang said China is willing to cooperate more with Morocco on trade, investment, military and security, culture, education and tourism, as well as major international and regional issues, while working together to safeguard common interests of developing countries.

Bourita said that Morocco supported China's efforts to safeguard its sovereignty, territorial integrity and legitimate maritime interests. He also hoped that China and Morocco will coordinate more on politics, anti-terrorism, and major international and regional issues.

He added that Morocco is ready to cooperate more with China on trade, investment, and railway construction, noting that Morocco welcomes Chinese companies to expand markets in Africa and the Arab states by making use of his country's geographical advantages.

In one major deal, though only at the early planning stages, Morocco is working on a US$10 billion project with the Chinese group Haite to develop an industrial zone and city that could eventually grow to 300,000 inhabitants. The plan includes an industrial park on the edge of the Mediterranean, built on about 2,500 acres and with room to double in size.

Meanwhile, a Chinese firm has also signed a deal with Moroccan partners to build the tallest skyscraper in Africa in Rabat, the capital city of Morocco.

The deal involves China Railway Construction Corporation, Morocco's BMCE Bank of Africa, and Travaux Generaux de Construction de Casablanca, Morocco's leading construction company. The 55-storey tower will be 250 metres high, with the adoption of ecological and sustainable design concepts. It will include offices, hotels and luxury apartments. CRCC will hold a 60% stake.

The tower will be the centrepiece of a large-scale project to develop the Bouregreg valley in Rabat, a key component of the 2014-2018 Integrated Development Programme.