Top legislator Wu
Bangguo arrived in Casablanca Sunday on an official goodwill
visit to Morocco aimed at boosting bilateral ties.
Wu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC)
Standing Committee, is the first NPC?head to visit the
northwestern African nation.
During the visit, he will hold meetings with Moroccan leaders
and have an in-depth exchange of views on issues of common concern,
Wu said in a written speech delivered on arrival at Mohamed V
Airport.
"The Chinese side stands ready to work with Morocco to
consolidate and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and
continuously push forward the development of
Sino-Moroccan ties in the spirit of boosting understanding, and
broadening cooperation for common development," Wu said.
"Over nearly half a century since the establishment of
diplomatic ties, friendly relations between China and Morocco have
developed smoothly on the basis of mutual respect, equality and
reciprocity. There have been frequent high-level exchanges, and
mutual trust in the political arena has been strengthened
increasingly," Wu said.
Bilateral cooperation has been expanding in trade, health,
tourism, science and technology, Wu said, adding that the two sides
share broad common ground, cooperate closely and support each other
in international affairs.
Shortly after his arrival, Wu visited the headquarters of
Morocco's Office Cherifien des Phosphates (OCP), the world's
largest exporter of phosphate rock and derivatives.
He later attended a signing ceremony of two agreements between
the OCP and China's Sinochem
Corporation covering phosphate exports to China and joint
investment projects.
Morocco's phosphate reserves are estimated at 110 billion tons,
or three quarters of proven world reserves.
Wu will proceed to Rabat, the Moroccan capital, later today.
After his Morocco trip, Wu will travel to New York for the
Second World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments, which is a
follow-up to the first gathering of presiding officers organized by
the Inter-Parliamentary Union in August-September 2000 on the
occasion of the UN Millennium Assembly.
(Xinhua News Agency September 5, 2005)