China, Morocco sign MoU to launch strategic dialogue mechanism

China

China, Morocco sign MoU to launch strategic dialogue mechanism

2025-09-20 02:07 Last Updated At：17:57

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Beijing on Friday, establishing a strategic dialogue mechanism between the two foreign ministries.

The MoU, signed after talks between the two ministers, aims to further strengthen the strategic partnership between China and Morocco which was established in 2016.

During their talks, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said Morocco was one of the first Arab and African countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China.

Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, China-Morocco relations have maintained a high level of development, he said.

"Our cooperation in various fields has yielded significant results, and the substantive value of the strategic partnership between our two nations continues to grow," Wang said.

Noting that next year will mark the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the strategic partnership between China and Morocco, Wang said China is willing to maintain high-level exchanges with Morocco, plan cooperation in various fields well, and jointly open up a brighter future for China-Morocco and China-Arab relations.

China also stands ready to work with the international community, including Morocco, to make the international order more just and equitable, Wang added.

Bourita, for his part, said developing relations with China is an unwavering strategic choice of Morocco.

Morocco firmly adheres to the one-China principle and fully supports China in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security, he said.

Bourita said Morocco is willing to deepen Belt and Road cooperation with China, expand exchanges in various fields such as tourism, education and culture, and continue to promote the strategic partnership between the two countries.

The Moroccan side supports the Global Governance Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, he added.

The two sides also had an in-depth exchange of views on issues such as the Middle East situation.

Bourita is visiting China from Friday to Saturday at Wang's invitation.

Escalating Middle East tensions drive up energy prices, squeezing US consumers

Soaring oil prices triggered by escalating tensions in the Middle East have heightened U.S. inflation pressures, with analysts warning that households face hundreds of dollars in extra costs if crude climbs further.

Data released on Tuesday by the American Automobile Association (AAA) showed that the national average price of regular gasoline in the United States has risen 18.64 percent compared with Feb. 26. The AAA data also indicated that the national average price of diesel on Tuesday was up 22.85 percent from a week earlier.

Mark Zandi, chief economist at global ratings agency Moody's, warned that U.S. consumers are being threatened by a sharp rise in fuel prices. He said that if international oil prices climb by another 10 U.S. dollars per barrel, annual spending for an average U.S. household would increase by about 450 dollars.

Zandi noted that a surge in oil prices would intensify inflationary pressure in the United States, eroding consumers' purchasing power and weighing on consumption, economic growth, and employment.

Tensions sharply escalated across the Middle East on Feb 28 when the United States and Israel launched large-scale joint airstrikes on Iran. The Iranian side has responded with multiple waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. assets across the region, hitting many countries in the Gulf.