Morocco country profile and China-Morocco relations

【Country name】The Kingdom of Morocco (Le Royaume du Maroc).

Area: 459,000 square kilometers (excluding 266,000 square kilometers in Western Sahara).

Population: 36.24 million (August 2018) Arabs make up about 80% and Berbers about 20%. Arabic is the Chinese language and French is spoken. Embrace Islam.

【Capital】Rabat.

【Head of State】King S.M. Mohammed VI Le Roi Mohammed VI), ascended to the throne on 30 July 1999.

【Important Holidays】National Day (King Enthronement Day): July 30, Independence Day: November 18 (1956).

It is located at the northwest tip of Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the east and southeast, Western Sahara to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar to the north. The coastline is more than 1,700 kilometers.

The first inhabitants were Berbers. The Arabs entered in the 7th century AD. The first Arab kingdom was founded in the 8th century. The Alawite dynasty was established in 1660 and continues to this day, with King Mohammed VI being the 22nd monarch of the dynasty. From the 15th century onwards, Western powers invaded one after another. On March 30, 1912, Morocco became a French protectorate. In the same year, France signed the Treaty of Madrid with Spain, and the northern part of Morocco and the southern part of Yvne were designated as Spanish protectorates. Independence in 1956. On August 14, 1957, the country was named the Kingdom of Morocco, and the Sultan was renamed King. In February 1961, King Mohammed V died. In March of the same year, King Hassan II ascended the throne. On July 23, 1999, King Hassan II died of illness, and Crown Prince Sidi Mohammed ascended the throne on the same day, and on July 30, he officially ascended the throne as Mohammed VI.

【Politics】Morocco has a constitutional monarchy, and the king has the supreme power. After King Mohammed VI ascended the throne in 1999, he adhered to established policies such as a constitutional monarchy and a multi-party system, focusing on economic development, emphasizing the rule of law, and giving priority to solving social problems such as poverty and employment. At the same time, we will intensify our efforts in counter-terrorism and actively participate in international counter-terrorism cooperation. In 2011, King Mohammed VI initiated a comprehensive constitutional reform, and on July 1, Morocco voted to adopt a new constitution, and on November 25, Morocco held elections for the House of Representatives, which were won by the Islamist Justice and Development Party, whose general secretary, Bankiran, was appointed prime minister by the king. In January 2012, the Moroccan government was formed, and in October 2013, the government was reshuffled. In October 2016, the second House of Representatives election after the promulgation of the new constitution was held, and the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PKP) once again became the largest party in the House of Representatives, but the party's general secretary, Bankiran, failed to form a government, and in March 2017, King Mohammed VI dismissed Ban from office and appointed the chairman of the National Committee of the Public Development Party and former foreign minister Osmani as the new prime minister. In April, the Moroccan government was formed. In January 2017, the Moroccan House of Representatives held an election for its speaker, and Habib El Marchi was elected speaker of the Moroccan Chamber of Deputies. At present, the political situation in Morocco is generally stable, and the throne is secure. However, the uneven development of the region in Moldova, the high unemployment rate, the still occurrence of demonstrations and strikes, and the turmoil in Libya have had a certain spillover effect on Moldova, and the regional terrorist forces are growing day by day, which brings hidden worries to the stability of Moldova.

【Constitution】Since independence, Morocco has promulgated six constitutions. The current constitution was adopted by referendum on 1 July 2011. The constitution stipulates that Morocco is a constitutional monarchy, the king is the head of state, the religious leader and the supreme commander of the armed forces, the prime minister is appointed by the party with the largest number of votes in the parliamentary election, and has important powers such as nominating and dismissing ministers and dissolving parliament, the parliament has the sole legislative power, and the House of Representatives is dominant.

The current government, the 32nd government since independence, was established in April 2017, four members were dismissed in October, and five new members were appointed in January 2018. In October 2019, King Mohammed VI appointed a new government of 24 members.

1. Head of Government: Saad Eddine El Othmani

2. Minister of State for Human Rights and Parliamentary Relations: Mustapha Ramid

3. Secretary of State for the Interior: Abdelouafi Laftit

4. Minister for Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Diaspora: Nasser Bourita

5. Minister of Justice: Mohamed Benabdelkader

6. Minister of Awqf and Islamic Affairs: Ahmed Toufiq

7. Secretary General of the Government: Mohamed El Hajjoui

8. Minister of Economic, Financial and Administrative Reform: Mohamed Benchaaboun

9. Minister of Agriculture, Marine Fisheries, Rural Development, Water Resources and Forests: Aziz Akhennouch

10. Minister of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Research: Said Amzazi

11. Minister of Health: Khalid Ait Taled

12. Minister of Industry, Trade and Green and Digital Economy: Moulay Hafid El Alamy

13. Minister of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water Resources: Abdelkader Amara

14. Minister of Homeland Governance, Urbanization, Housing and Urban Policy: Nezha Bouchareb

15. Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts, Air Transport and Social Economy: Nadia Fettah Alaoui

16. Minister of Energy, Mines and Environment: Aziz Rabbah

17. Minister for Employment and Vocational Placement: Mohamed Amkraz

18. Minister for Culture, Youth and Sports and Government Spokesperson: ELHassan Abyaba

19. Mutual Aid, Social Development, Equality and the Family and the Minister: Jamila EL Moussali

20. Minister's Representative in charge of National Defense: Abdellatif Loudiyi

21. Minister of the Interior: Noureddine Boutayeb

22. Minister Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Diaspora: Mohcine Jazouli

23. Minister Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Overseas Communities in charge of Overseas Affairs: Nezha EL Ouafi

24. Secretary of State for Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Ministry of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research: Driss Ouaouicha

【Government website】www.maroc.ma

The country is divided into 12 regions, 62 provinces and 13 provincial-level cities, and 1,503 municipalities and towns.

【Judiciary】The judiciary is divided into four levels: the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal (21), the Lower Courts (68) and the Judges' Offices of the Lower Courts. There is a Supreme Council of the Judiciary throughout the country. The President and judges of the Court are appointed by the King.

Political parties: A multi-party system is practiced. There are 35 political parties, all of which have declared their support for the king and Islam, and are in line with the king in major policies. After the October 2016 legislative elections, a total of 12 political parties held seats in the House of Representatives, forming a coalition majority (the Justice and Development Party, the National Union of Liberals, the Constitutional Union, the People's Movement, the People's Power Socialist Union, the Progressive and Socialist Party) and the opposition (Truth and Modern, Independence, etc.):

(1) Justice and Development Party (Parti de la Justice et du Développement): formerly known as the "People's Democratic Constitutional Movement" founded in 1967, it changed its current name in 1998. Moderate Islamist parties, which support the monarchy and oppose violence and terrorism, advocate a gradual approach to social change and "mild" Islamism. It is the largest party in the House of Representatives, with 125 of the 395 seats. The current General Secretary, Saad Eddine El Othmani.

(2) Rassemblement National des Independants: Founded in 1978, he has been involved in politics for a long time, became an opposition party after the elections to the Chamber of Deputies in November 2011, and joined the previous government in October 2013. It is the fourth largest party in the House of Representatives, with 37 of the 395 seats. General Secretary Aziz Akhennouch.

(3) Mouvement Populaire, founded in 1957, unreservedly supported the King's policies. It holds 27 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives. The current General Secretary, Mohand Laenser.

(4) Parti du Progrès et du Socialisme: Founded in 1943, it is currently the largest communist party in North Africa, and it is also the largest communist party in Arab countries with a certain political influence. It holds 12 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives. The current General Secretary, Mohamed Nabil Benabdallah.

(5) Parti de l'Istiqlal: founded in 1943. It is the earliest nationalist political party in Morocco, and most of the party leaders are big entrepreneurs and big farmers, who have great influence in the business community, political circles and the people, and have been in power or participated in politics for a long time, and joined the government after the 2011 House of Representatives election, and quit the government in July 2013. The third largest party in the House of Representatives and the second largest opposition party in the House of Representatives, with 46 of the 395 seats. The current General Secretary, Nizar Baraka, (President of the MCOSOC).

(6) Parti Authenticité et Modernité: Founded in 2008, it was formed by the merger of 5 small parties. The second largest party in the House of Representatives and the largest opposition party, with 102 of the 395 seats. The current General Secretary, Ilyas Omari. (He resigned in August 2017, but the Politburo rejected his resignation.) ）

(7) Union Socialiste des Forces Populaires: Founded in 1975, it represents the interests of the middle and petty bourgeoisie and intellectuals, and is influential among intellectuals, young students and workers. It holds 20 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives. The current General Secretary, Driss Lachgar.

(8) Union Constitutionelle: Founded in 1983 to represent the emerging bourgeois forces, it is mainly composed of capitalists, high-ranking officials, and liberal professionals such as intellectuals and lawyers. It holds 19 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives. The current General Secretary, Mohamed Sajid.

【Important Person】King Mohammed VI: Born on August 21, 1963, he is the eldest son of the late King Hassan II. He graduated from the Faculty of Law of Mohammed V University in Rabat in 1985 with a Bachelor of Laws degree and in 1993 with a Doctor of Laws degree. In 1979, he was appointed crown prince. In 1985 he was appointed Coordinator of the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces. In 1994, he was promoted to the rank of major general. He ascended the throne on 30 July 1999. He enjoys reading, swimming and rowing, and is fluent in Arabic and French, as well as English and Spanish. He has a son and a daughter.

Prime Minister Osmani: Born in Inezgan in 1956. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1986, followed by a Diploma in Psychology and a Higher Education Diploma in Islamic Studies. He has been a doctor for a long time. He was a leading member of the Reform and Reconstruction Movement, the Reunification and Reform Movement, and the People's Democratic Constitutional Movement, the predecessor organizations of the Justice and Development Party. From 2004 to 2008, he was General Secretary of the Public Development Party, Chairman of the Party's National Committee and Chairman of the International Relations Committee in 2008, and was re-elected President of the National Committee in 2012. Since 1997, he has been elected to the House of Representatives five times in a row. He was Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. From 2012 to 2013, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. He became Prime Minister on 17 March 2017. In December 2017, he was re-elected as General Secretary of the Public Development Party. Married with 3 children.

【Economy】Morocco ranks fifth in Africa (after Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, and Algeria) and third in North Africa. Phosphate exports, tourism, and remittances are the main pillars of the Moroccan economy. Agriculture has a certain foundation, but it is not self-sufficient in food. Fishery resources are abundant, and the output ranks first in Africa. The momentum of industrial development is good, especially the automobile industry, which is developing rapidly and beginning to take shape. In 2016 and 2017, car sales grew by double digits for two consecutive years, with the top five brands being Dacia, Renault, Volkswagen, Hyundai and Peugeot. The textile and garment industry is one of the important industries, with a total export value of about 3.5 billion US dollars in 2016. In 1983, Morocco began to implement economic reforms, privatization of enterprises and trade liberalization, and after signing an association agreement with the European Union in 1996, it further optimized the economic structure, improved the investment environment, strengthened infrastructure construction, and established a free trade area with the European Union in 2010. The Moroccan government is committed to expanding domestic demand, strengthening infrastructure construction, supporting traditional industries such as textiles and tourism, developing emerging industries such as information and clean energy, and actively attracting foreign investment, so that the economy continues to grow. In 2014, the "2020 Industrial Acceleration Development Plan" was launched, and the main economic data for 2018 are as follows:

GDP: $119 billion.

GDP per capita: $3,549.

Economic growth rate: 2.8%.

Name of currency: Dirham.

Exchange rate: 1 US dollar≈ 9.46 dirhams.

Inflation rate: 1.9%.

Unemployment rate: 10.5%.

【Resources】Phosphate is the main resource, with estimated reserves of 110 billion tons, accounting for 75% of the world's reserves. Other mineral resources include iron, lead, zinc, cobalt, manganese, barium, copper, salt, magnetite, anthracite, oil shale, etc. Among them, oil shale reserves are more than 100 billion tons, containing 6 billion tons of crude oil.

The industrial sector mainly includes agriculture and food processing, mining, textiles and garments, leather processing, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, and electromechanical and metallurgical industries. Phosphate is an important pillar of the Moroccan economy, and Morocco is the world's largest exporter of phosphate, with a trade volume of about 4.3 billion US dollars in 2016. There are about 1,700 textile enterprises in Moyou, with a population of more than 200,000, and the output value of textile and garment accounts for about 16% of GDP, and the export value accounts for 30% of the total export, mainly exported to France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, etc. Handicrafts play an important role in the national economy, and the main products are blankets, leather goods, metalworking goods, ceramics and wooden furniture.

At present, more than 95% of the basic energy depends on imports, 18% of the electricity is imported from Spain, and the annual energy demand growth rate is 6.5%. Wind and solar energy resources are abundant. Morocco is actively developing renewable energy, formulating a renewable energy development strategy, and plans to invest 21.7 billion US dollars by 2020 to increase the total installed capacity of renewable energy to 8 million kilowatts, accounting for 42% of its total electricity production, and further increase to 52% by 2030. The Nuao CSP project currently under construction is the largest project in Morocco and the world's largest CSP plant with the largest installed capacity under construction.

【Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fishery】Agriculture occupies an important position in the national economy. Agricultural production fluctuates greatly, food is not self-sufficient, the agricultural population accounts for about 42% of the country's total labor force, the output value accounts for about 11.6% of GDP (2016), and exports (mainly citrus and olive oil) account for 30% of the total export earnings. There are 8.95 million hectares of arable land, more than 90 dams, 1 million hectares of irrigated land, and 5.58 million hectares of grain cultivation. The main crops are wheat, barley, corn, fruits, vegetables, etc. In 2008, Morocco launched the "Green Morocco" program to improve Moroccan agricultural production technology. In 2016-2017, grain output reached 5.1 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 203%.

Animal husbandry is more developed, with 20.29 million hectares of grassland and pasture, 550,000 tons of beef and mutton and 600,000 tons of poultry meat in 2016.

Rich in fishery resources, it is the largest fish producer in Africa, and the export volume of sardines ranks first in the world. In 2015, about 1.35 million tonnes of fish were caught, and export earnings exceeded US$1 billion. In order to protect fishery resources, the government has imposed a moratorium of up to eight months.

【Tourism】Tourism is well developed and has become the second pillar industry in Morocco, the second largest source of balance of payments and the second largest employment attraction industry. In 2010, Morocco put forward the "Vision 2020" strategy for tourism development. Morocco is Africa's number one tourist destination, attracting 10.3 million tourists in 2016. The main tourist cities are: Rabat, Marrakech, Casablanca, Fez, Agadir, Tangier, etc.

【Transportation】Land transportation is relatively developed. Dominance in the domestic transport industry, 90% of passenger traffic and 75% of freight traffic is done by land transport.

Railways: Morocco is one of the leading in Africa in terms of railway infrastructure, with 1,907 kilometers of lines in operation, including 483 kilometers of double lines and 1,014 kilometers of electrified railways. Another 765 km of phosphate transport lines. In 2003, Morocco and Spain reached an agreement to jointly build a double-track undersea railway through the Strait of Gibraltar, which will be the first railway line connecting Europe and Africa. The Moroccan government plans to build two high-speed rail lines in 2030, namely the Tangier-Casablanca-Agadir line and the Casablanca-Ujida line, which will be about 1,500 kilometers long and will cost more than 100 billion dirhams (about 12.5 billion US dollars). Launched in 2011 and completed in November 2018, Morocco is the first high-speed rail project in Africa to build the 320-kilometer-per-hour high-speed rail line between Morocco and France.

Highways: The total length is 42,158 kilometers, including 10,119 kilometers of first-class roads, 9,253 kilometers of second-class roads, and 22,768 kilometers of third-class roads. There are 1,588 kilometers of expressways, including Rabat-Tangier, Rabat-Casablanca-Sedat, Rabat-Meknes-Fez-Oujda, Casablanca-Marrakech and other expressways. Water transportation: Now it has 30 ports, of which 11 are multi-functional ports, 11 are ports for transportation and fishing, and 13 are international trade ports. The main ports are Casablanca, Mohammadiyah, Safi, Tangier, Agadir, etc., with a total throughput of 115.1 million tons in 2014. Among them, Casablanca is the largest port in the country, accounting for 26% of the total port throughput of the country, and the first phase of the Tangier-Mediterranean Port has been completed and the second phase is being expanded, which will become one of the largest ports in Africa and the Mediterranean.

Air Transport: There are 28 airports in the country, including 12 international airports, such as Casablanca Mohammed V Airport, Rabat-Sale, Agadir Airport, Tangier Airport, etc. Royal Motorlaw Airlines (RAM) has 47 aircraft and 75 routes to 32 countries on four continents, with a total route of more than 300,000 kilometers. At present, Royal Motorlaw Airlines is formulating a development plan for 2016-2025, and intends to strengthen its coverage in Africa by adding new routes, and the number of aircraft will be expanded to 105 by 2025, with an investment of 3.789 billion US dollars. In 2008, the passenger volume was 10.6 million. In 2005, Morocco signed an "Open Skies" agreement with the European Union, and the Moroccan aviation market was opened to European airlines.

In December 1996, the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline was officially opened via Algeria and Morocco to Spain and Portugal. With a total length of 1,385 kilometers, the pipeline can initially transport 9 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year, and Morocco can obtain 1 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. Since 2005, for the first time, Morocco has used the pipeline's transit gas interception quota for power generation, which can meet 17% of the country's electricity demand. In May 2017, Moldova and Nigeria signed an agreement on a gas pipeline connecting the two countries to Europe.

Telecom & Telecommunications ranks fourth in Africa in terms of information and communication technology usage. It has a good wired and wireless communication system, 5 international submarine cables and 3 satellite ground stations connected to the International Satellite Organization and the Arab Satellite Organization. The communication hubs are Casablanca and Rabat. As of March 2017, there were 41.78 million mobile phone subscribers in Morocco, of which 3.4 million had 4G coverage. The number of Internet users is 18.3 million. The main telecom operators in Morocco are Maroc Telecom (MT) and Meditelecom (Meditel).

In 2016, the total fiscal revenue was US$19.47 billion, and the fiscal expenditure was US$20.6 billion. Foreign exchange reserves in the third quarter of 2017 amounted to approximately US$23.51 billion.

【Foreign Trade】Morocco has trade relations with more than 90 countries and regions, and its main trading partners are European countries, accounting for about 70% of the total import and export volume of Morocco. Spain and France are Morocco's most important trading partners. In 2004, Morocco signed the Agadir Agreement with Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan, announcing the establishment of a four-country free trade area. In the same year, Moldova signed bilateral free trade agreements with the United States and Turkey. In January 2006, the Moroccan-US FTA officially entered into force. In 2008, Morocco was granted priority status by the European Union (between member states and associated countries), and in 2010, Morocco established a free trade area with the European Union. In recent years, the foreign trade situation is as follows (unit: 100 million US dollars):

Major trading partners in 2018:

Exports: Spain (23.2%), France (22.6%), Italy (4.5%).

Imports: Spain (16.6%), France (12.2%), China (9.2%).

It mainly exports mechanical and electrical products, transportation equipment, non-knitted garments, fertilizers, inorganic chemicals, building materials, etc. It mainly imports mineral fuels, mechanical and electrical products, machinery and equipment, transportation equipment, grain, etc.

【Foreign Capital】Moldova encourages foreign investment, especially after the 80s of the 20th century, and takes the encouragement and promotion of foreign investment as one of the priority policies, promulgating the "Investment Law" and "Investment Guidelines", relaxing foreign exchange management, simplifying investment procedures, and ensuring the interests of foreign investors. France, the United Arab Emirates, Spain, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Germany and other countries have invested in Morocco. Foreign direct investment in Morocco is mainly concentrated in the fields of industry, real estate, energy and mining, and finance. In 2016, the flow of foreign capital absorbed by Morocco was US$2.32 billion, and by the end of 2016, the stock of foreign investment absorbed by Morocco was US$54.78 billion. Morocco ranks second among the most attractive countries for investment in Africa, after South Africa.

Foreign Aid: Morocco receives aid mainly from the European Union, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the World Bank and the African Development Bank. In recent years, the EU's gratuitous aid to Morocco has stabilized at 200 million euros per year, and the commitment of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf countries to Morocco has grown rapidly. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar pledged $1 billion a year in non-reimbursable aid to Morocco from 2012 to 2016. Morocco is the second largest recipient of aid to France and the first largest recipient of aid to Spain.

The Moroccan government implements policies to revitalize the economy, increase employment, develop medical and health care, justice and other social services, gradually narrow social disparities, improve the living standards of low-income people, and provide partial subsidies for daily necessities. In 2014, there were 1.6 million people below the poverty line in Morocco, with a poverty rate of 1.6 percent for urban residents and 9.5 percent for rural residents. The per capita expenditure of Moldovan residents is 15,900 dirhams. 93% of the rural population has access to electricity. Since January 2017, the minimum wage has been raised to AED 13.46 per hour, and the minimum wage is AED 2,570.86 per month. There are 12 public hospitals, 5 military hospitals, 13 general hospitals, 102 private hospitals, 1,360 medical centers and medical clinics, 78 local hospitals, 443 maternity and family planning centers, and 2 university medical centers, with a total of 30,000 beds. There is one health centre in each province and there are about 3,800 specialists in the country. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report 2010, Morocco ranks 114th out of 177 countries.

【Military】The Royal Armed Forces of Morocco were established on May 14, 1956, and the Air Force and Navy were established in 1957 and 1960. May 14 is Army Day. At present, there is no Ministry of National Defense, and only a national defense administrative agency is set up to be in charge of national defense administrative affairs. The army, navy, and air force all have commanders (at the rank of generals and ministers), who are under the direct command of the king. King Mohammed VI is the Supreme Commander of the Army and Chief of the General Staff. In July 1966, compulsory military service was introduced, with a period of 18 months.

The total strength of the three armed forces is 195,800, with 40,000 military police and auxiliary troops. The equipment mainly comes from the United States, France, etc. Among them, the army has 175,000 people, and has 3 headquarters, 4 mechanized brigades, 2 paratrooper brigades, and 11 mechanized regiments. The navy has 10,000 people, including 1,500 marines, 4 naval bases, 29 combat ships, and is equipped with missile destroyers, frigates, coastal defense ships, amphibious ships, and support ships. The Air Force has 13,500 personnel, 6 squadrons, and 96 combat aircraft, equipped with fighters, reconnaissance planes, helicopter gunships, training planes, ground-to-air missiles, air-to-air missiles, and so on. There are also 150,000 reservists and 42,000 paramilitaries.

【Education】Regard education as the foundation of national development, emphasizing the popularization of education, the unification of teaching materials, the Moroccanization of teachers and the Arabization of teaching. The annual education budget accounts for about 1/4 of the total expenditure of the State budget. The national illiteracy rate has dropped from 87 per cent in 1960 to 25.4 per cent in 2015. There are 64 colleges and universities, 1,168 middle schools and 4,350 primary schools. The enrolment rate for children aged 6 is 95 per cent, for children aged 7-12 is 94.5 per cent, for adolescents aged 12-14 is 73 per cent, with 4.1 million students and 132,800 teachers in primary schools, 1.8 million students and 86,800 teachers in secondary schools, and 286,000 students and 9,773 teachers in universities. All teachers in the primary and secondary schools of the State have been Moroccanized, and 97 per cent of the university teachers are Moroccan. There are 24 universities, with prestigious institutions of higher learning being Mohammed V University, Hassan II University, Mohammed I University, Qadiiyad University, Karuviin Madha University and Mohammed Bin Abdullah University.

In April 1980, the Royal Academy of Sciences was established in Morocco, which is composed of 30 permanent members of Morocco and 30 associate members of foreign countries. Led by Mohammed VI, the king appointed a permanent secretary to preside over the day-to-day work. In 2001, Morocco successfully launched its first scientific satellite. In 2005, Morocco joined the EU's "Galileo" satellite navigation program, becoming the first African and Arab countries to join the program, and the fifth non-EU country to join the program after China, India, Israel and Ukraine. In November 2017, the Moroccan Earth observation satellite Mohammed VI-A was successfully launched in French Guiana.

At present, there are more than 560 kinds of newspapers and periodicals, including 375 Arabic editions and 185 French editions. The main newspapers and their circulation: the official newspaper Presse, about 30,000 copies, the semi-official Sahara Morning Zeitung (50,000 copies), the Opinion newspaper, 70,000 copies, the French-language newspaper of the Independent Party, the Banner, 50,000 copies, the Arabic organ of the Independents, the Manifesto (25,000 copies, the organ of the Progressive Party), the Maghreb Zeitung (10,000 copies, the organ of the Union of Liberals), the newspaper "National Mission", 20,000 copies, the organ of the Constitutional Union.

Arab News Agency of the Maghreb: Founded in 1959, it became a national news agency in 1977. There are 247 journalists. It has liaison with news agencies in Arab countries, agreements on the exchange of news with Agence France-Presse, the Associated Press, TASS and Xinhua News Agency, and cooperation agreements with 60 news agencies in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Branches in 12 countries.

Radio Morocco: Founded in 1928, it was under the control of the State in 1959 and is headed by the Ministry of Information. There are nine sub-stations throughout the country, broadcasting in three dialects: Arabic, French, English, Spanish and Berber. There is also a private Mediterranean Radio International, which was established in July 1980 and broadcasts in French and Arabic.

Moroccan Television: Founded in 1962 and broadcasting color television programs in 1972, it has 64 relay stations with an average of 12 hours a day, and 84 per cent of the country's population has access to television. In 1989, the private television station Morocco TV II was established, which broadcasts about 10 hours of programming per day, and in 1996 it was acquired by the government with 70% of the capital.

【Foreign Relations】China pursues a non-aligned, flexible, pragmatic and diversified foreign policy, and attaches importance to the balanced development of foreign relations. We should safeguard national independence and national sovereignty, and maintain and strengthen traditional relations with Western countries such as Europe and the United States. In 1996, Morocco signed an association agreement with the European Union. In 2008, Morocco was granted priority status by the European Union. In 2010, the first EU-Morocco summit was held in Spain. Attention has been paid to strengthening the unity of the Arab world, with particular emphasis on developing relations with the Gulf countries. Efforts have been made to play a role in international affairs, particularly in the Middle East peace process and in the Islamic world. In 2011, the GCC established a "priority partnership" with Morocco. King Mohammed VI is currently the Chairman of the Jerusalem Committee under the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Moldova asserted sovereignty over Western Sahara and withdrew from the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1984 after it was admitted to the "State of Western Sahara". In January 2017, Morocco returned to the African Union. As of 2013, Morocco has established diplomatic relations with nearly 150 countries.

Relations with the United States: Morocco and the United States have close relations, and high-level visits between the two countries are frequent. The United States has built a strategic oil depot in Morocco to provide supplies for the US Sixth Fleet. The United States has replaced France as the largest supplier of wheat to Morocco. The United States has also built the largest "Voice of America" broadcasting station outside the United States in Modangier. In 2004, US President George W. Bush announced that Morocco would grant Morocco the status of a major ally of non-NATO members. In the same year, Morocco and the United States signed a free trade agreement. In September 2012, the first Strategic Dialogue was held in Washington, D.C. In April 2014, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visited Morocco and co-chaired the second round of the Moroccan Strategic Dialogue with Moroccan Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Minister Mazzuar. In August, Moldovan Prime Minister Bankiran went to the United States to attend the U.S.-Africa Summit. In April 2015, Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Mezoural and US Secretary of State John Kerry co-chaired the third round of the Moroccan-US Strategic Dialogue in Washington. In February 2016, Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Mezouar visited the United States and met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. In December, King Mohammed VI held a telephone conversation with US President-elect Donald Trump. In September 2017, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Morocco Burida visited the United States. In April 2018, the 4th Morocco-US Economic and Trade Forum was held in Washington, D.C. In the same month, a delegation from the US Congress visited Morocco.

Relations with France: Morocco and France have a traditional relationship, with the two heads of state and prime ministers exchanging visits on several occasions. France is the largest investor and creditor of Morocco, and the second largest trading partner. The two countries have close military relations, and most of the equipment of the Moroccan army is provided by France. In April 2013, French President François Hollande visited France, in April, the King's special envoy led by the King's adviser to the King of Morocco, Mr. Fehri, and from May to June, King Mohammed VI paid a private visit to France. In February 2015, King Mohammed VI held talks with President François Hollande during his private visit to France, and in the same month, French Minister of the Interior Kazenaf visited Morocco, in April, the Chief of the General Staff of the French armed forces, Prime Minister Valls, and Minister of Finance Saban visited Morocco, in June, King Mohammed VI met with former French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Rabat, in September, French President François Hollande paid a goodwill working visit to Morocco, and in November, King Mohammed VI visited France and met with President François Hollande. In February 2016, King Mohammed VI paid a goodwill visit to France and held talks with President François Hollande. In May 2017, King Mohammed VI met with French President François Hollande in Paris, and King Mohammed VI sent a congratulatory letter to French President-elect Emmanuel Macron and had a telephone conversation with Malaya. In June, French President Emmanuel Macron visited Morocco and held talks with King Mohammed VI. In October, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian visited Morocco. In November, French Prime Minister Philippe visited Morocco and co-chaired the 13th intergovernmental dialogue between the two countries with Prime Minister Osmani. In March 2018, former French President François Hollande visited Morocco. In April, King Mohammed VI visited France. In November, King Mohammed VI travelled to France to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War in Paris.

Relations with Spain: Moses had a traditional relationship. The leaders of the two countries have continued to exchange visits. Spain is Morocco's largest trading partner and major donor, and has a large investment in Morocco. In 2009, there were 710,000 expatriates in Morocco. Moses had a territorial dispute, and Morocco demanded the recovery of Ceuta, Melilla, and some small islands along the Mediterranean coast, which he now controlled in Spain, and West considered these territories to be sovereign. The two countries have been in dispute over sovereignty over the island of Layla on the Mediterranean coast north of Morocco. In November 2007, due to the visit of the King of Spain to the cities of Hugh and May, Morocco recalled its ambassador to Spain for a short time. In July 2013, King Carlos I of Spain paid an official visit to Morocco. In February 2014, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Moldova Mezoural, the Minister of Industry and Trade Allami, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Bouda jointly attended the meeting with Spanish entrepreneurs in Madrid, and in the same month, the Chief of the General Staff of the Spanish Ministry of National Defense visited Moldova Sanchez, in June, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain visited Moldova by Foreign Minister Margaro, in July, King Felipe VI of Spain and his wife visited Moldova, and in November, the Minister of Defense of Spain Erlat visited Moldova. In June 2015, Prime Minister Bankiran and Western Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy co-chaired the 11th Moroccan-Western High-Level Meeting in Madrid. In March 2016, Al Hasad, Minister of the Interior of Morocco, and the Director General of the Directorate General of National Security and the Directorate of the Land Inspectorate visited Spain. In December, Western Home Minister Juan Zayed visited Morocco. In February 2017, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Justis Dastiz visited Morocco. In May, Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Brida met with Spanish Foreign Minister Dastiz in Madrid; In August, the Minister of the Interior of the West, Isoldo, visited Morocco. In September, the speaker of the Spanish House of Representatives, Pastor, visited Morocco. In October, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Morocco issued a communiqué opposing the unilateral declaration of independence of Western Catalonia, saying that it respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Catalonia and that Morocco will not recognize the independence of Catalonia now and in the future. In December 2018, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited Morocco.

Relations with Algeria: Morocco and its neighbouring Algeria have a history of territorial disputes and armed conflicts over border issues. In 1976, Moa severed diplomatic relations with Aargans because of its support for the Western Sahara Front and its recognition of Western Sahara. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were resumed in May 1988. Moa-Arab relations have improved since the reign of King Mohammed VI. In March 2005, the King of Morocco and the President of Afghanistan resumed a meeting between the heads of state after a 14-year hiatus. In December 2007, the King of Morocco had a telephone conversation with President Boutefley of Afghanistan to express his condolences over the terrorist attack in the capital of Afghanistan. In April 2009, King Mohammed VI sent a telegram congratulating President Bouteflika on his re-election. In January 2012, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Morocco, Mr. Osmani, visited Afghanistan. In February 2013, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Morocco Burida visited Afghanistan. In the past two years, there have been few bilateral visits to Moa. In October 2017, Madova Foreign Minister Mesahel said that Morocco was selling marijuana and laundering money to Africa, and Morocco reacted strongly to May's remarks and recalled his ambassador to Africa. In March 2018, Cabinet Minister Latif visited Afghanistan. In November, King Mohammed VI delivered a "Green March" Day speech, signaling improved relations between Mohama and Afghanistan. In July 2019, King Mohammed VI reaffirmed his desire to improve relations between Mohan and Afghanistan in his speech on the 20th anniversary of his accession to the throne.

Relations with other Arab countries: Morocco maintains good relations with most Arab countries. Morocco has particularly close relations with the Gulf oil-producing countries, which are an important source of foreign aid and energy for Moldova. In January 2014, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attended the 20th meeting of the Jerusalem Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Morocco, in February, Prince Morashid went to Tunisia to attend the promulgation ceremony of the new constitution of Tunisia, in the same month, Prime Minister Juma of Tunisia visited Moldova, in the same month, Prime Minister Bankiran of Moldova visited Jordan, in March, Prime Minister Bankiran of Morocco and Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior of Qatar Al Thani co-chaired the fifth meeting of the Mocha Senior Mixed Committee in Rabat, in the same month, the President of the Senate of Morocco Biyedillah visited Qatar, in May, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia paid a private visit to Moldova, in the same month, King Mohammed VI visited Tunisia, and in JulyIn the same month, the Special Envoy of the President of Mauritania and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Tikdi visited Moldova, in September, the Prime Minister of Moldova attended the Tunis International Investment Conference, in October, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Moldova visited Mauritania, in November, King Mohammed VI visited the United Arab Emirates, and in the same month, Tunisian Prime Minister Juma visited Moldova. In February 2015, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Al-Sabah visited Tunisia and held the 8th session of the Mixed Committee of Morocco, in June, Prime Minister Bankiran of Moldova visited Tunisia and co-chaired the 18th meeting of the Mixed Committee of Madlaw with Prime Minister Zed of Tunia, and in December, King Mohammed VI visited the United Arab Emirates. In March 2016, Moldovan Prime Minister Bankiran went to Saudi Arabia to attend the closing ceremony of the military exercise codenamed "Northern Thunder", in April, King Mohammed VI visited Saudi Arabia and attended the Morocco-Gulf States Summit, followed by Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and in May, Tunisian Prime Minister Zoude visited Moldova and met with Prime Minister Bankiran, the head of the Moldovan government. In March 2017, Moldovan Prime Minister Bankiran attended the 4th Qatar Information and Technology Exhibition Conference in Doha and met with Kaemir Tamim, the 24th Arab Parliamentary Union Assembly was held in Rabat, and the Speaker of the Moldovan House of Representatives Marki was elected chairman of the organization, King Abdullah II of Jordan visited Moldova and met with King Mohammed VI, in May, the speaker of the Libyan National Assembly Aguila visited Moldova, and in June, the special envoy of King Mohammed VI and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Morocco Burida visited the United Arab Emirates. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia seek a proper solution to the turmoil over the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar, Tunisian Prime Minister Shaheid visits Morocco to attend the 19th high-level mixed committee between the two countries, and King Mohammed VI congratulates the Saudi king and the new crown prince and has a phone call with the new crown prince. In November, King Mohammed VI visited the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. In March 2018, the Speaker of the Moroccan House of Representatives, Mr. Marchi, visited Tunisia. In April, Malki visited Egypt.

Relations with Israel: Morocco has deep historical ties with Israel. During World War II, the Moroccan royal family contributed to the protection of the Jews. In 1994, Moldova and Israel set up mutual interest representative offices, and after the conflict between Israel and Palestine at the end of September 2000, Moldova recalled its representative in Israel and closed its representative office in Moldova. In February 2006, the leader of the Israeli Labor Party, Andreas Peretz, visited Morocco and met with the King of Morocco. In July 2007, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Morocco, Ben Issa, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Livni, held informal talks in Paris. In June and July 2014, in response to the Palestinian-Israeli situation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Moldova issued several communiqués, condemning Israel's settlement in East Jerusalem and calling for an immediate cessation of Israel's unacceptable and unjustified attacks on Gaza. In July 2017, King Mohammed VI, in his capacity as Chairman of the Quds Committee, sent a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, strongly condemning Israel's policies, demanding that Israel stop unilaterally deciding the fate of Jerusalem, and calling on the international community to pay attention to it.

[Attitude towards current major international issues]

With regard to the international situation: the elements of tension and conflict in international relations have not been eliminated. The imbalance in the development of the world economy, the widening gap between the rich and the poor, and the extremely unequal position of the developing countries are fundamental factors threatening global stability. It advocated the strengthening of North-South dialogue and South-South cooperation, called on developed countries to provide financial and technical assistance to developing countries, significantly reduced the debt of developing countries, and narrowed the widening digital divide between the North and the South through technology transfer.

On the reform of the United Nations and the Security Council, he believes that the reform of the United Nations is a gradual process, which should be based on the principle of first making it easier and then more difficult, and should not set a deadline for the reform of the Security Council, and should not be separated from the reform of the United Nations as a whole. The principles of consensus and equitable geographical distribution should be given first consideration, and the distribution of seats among regions should be left to the discretion of the regions and the programmes should not be imposed from outside. Morocco agrees that Africa should have two permanent seats on the Council and that African countries should rotate the seats. Moldova also called for the Arab States to be given a permanent seat.

On climate change: Climate change is considered to be one of the most serious threats to the survival and development of humankind. The international community is called upon to take common, united and strong action to address climate change, with particular attention to the vulnerability of African countries and small island developing States to climate change. Morocco has set a target of 42% of the country's energy needs from renewable sources by 2020 and formally submitted its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in 2015. In November 2016, Morocco hosted the 22nd United Nations Climate Change Conference in Marrakech.

On the issue of counter-terrorism: Terrorism is considered to be one of the most serious threats to world peace, stability and security. Condemn and resolutely combat all forms of terrorism. We oppose the attribution of terrorism to specific religions and the distortion and demonization of Islam. Support the establishment of an international counter-terrorism centre and call on Islamic countries to strengthen solidarity and cooperation to eradicate terrorism at its roots.

On Islamic Extremism: Islamic extremism is a distortion of Islam. He stressed that Morocco believes in a moderate and open Islam, rejects all acts that undermine the tolerance of religious identity, and opposes unnecessary religious divisions.

On the Israeli-Palestinian issue: King Mohammed VI, who chairs the Jerusalem Committee under the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, strongly opposes Israel's unilateral change of the historical and legal status of Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Morocco considers the question of Palestine to be at the heart of the entire Islamic world and calls on Israel to return all the Arab lands it occupies in order to achieve peace in the Middle East. He supports the independent establishment of Palestine and the accession of Palestine to the United Nations as a full member state, and believes that the independent establishment of Palestine is an important guarantee for peace and stability in the Middle East. We call on the international community to assume its responsibilities and find a new way to deal with the Palestinian issue. In response to the recent relocation of the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the Moroccan side expressed its opposition to this, believing that this move violates Security Council resolutions and threatens regional security and stability.

On the construction of the Maghreb Union: He stressed that the construction of the Maghreb Union is not only an inevitable strategic choice for Moldova, but also the basis for strengthening cooperation between Moldova and other regional organizations. He actively advocated strengthening the organizational building of the Maldivian League and improving its institutional setup.