RABAT, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Relations between China and Morocco have reached a new stage of all-round development since the two countries formed diplomatic ties 50 years ago, said Chinese Ambassador to Morocco Gong Yuanxing in a recent interview with Xinhua.

 Gong said that since the top leaders of the two countries exchanged visits in 2002 and 2006, the high-profile visits to each other have increased, leading to closer bilateral political ties.

Morocco has always adhered to the one-China policy, and refused to have any official contact with the Taiwan authorities, noted the ambassador.

China and Morocco have been coordinating and supporting each other on international affairs. In 2007, a political consultation mechanism between the two foreign ministries has been initiated, and is functioning well now, he said.

Trade cooperation is an important part of bilateral ties, Gong said. In 2007, bilateral trade reached a record high of 2.584 billion U.S. dollars. Since 2002, bilateral trade has witnessed an annual increase of more than 20 percent, with a 34-percent hike in 2007, said Gong.

To help reduce Morocco's trade deficit, the Chinese side has made great effort to increase import from Morocco, including inviting Chinese enterprises to Morocco to buy Moroccan goods, the Chinese ambassador said.

Now many Chinese enterprises have gained firm foothold in project contract market in Morocco, with Chinese-made equipment widely used in Morocco's communication networks. Chinese brand name cars are selling well and Chinese commodities for daily use are available in many Moroccan supermarkets, said Gong.

He expressed hope that an increasing number of Chinese enterprises will come to invest in Morocco, a country with political stability, a growing economy and ideal geographic location.

The two countries also have fruitful cooperation in such fields as medical care, military, news media, culture and education. The "Chinese Film Week" held in Rabat and the northern city of Tanger in 2007, for instance, have won great acclaim, said the ambassador.

Source: Xinhua