UPDATE 1-China’s Xi visits Morocco, meets with crown prince

(Adds details of visit, background in paragraphs 4-6)

BEIJING, Nov 22 (Reuters) –

Chinese President Xi Jinping made a short visit to Morocco on Thursday, according to state news agency MAP.

Xi was welcomed in Casablanca by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and the visit reflected the strong bonds of friendship, cooperation, and solidarity between the Moroccan and Chinese peoples, the agency said.

Xi made the visit after being in Brazil for the G20 Summit.

China has stepped up investments in Morocco’s infrastructure and rail sector in recent years.

Morocco’s geographic location close to Europe, its free trade agreements with key EU and U.S. markets and its existing automotive industry, make it attractive to Chinese electric vehicle battery makers.

In June, Chinese EV battery manufacturer Gotion High Tech picked Morocco to set up Africa’s first gigafactory for a total cost of $1.3 billion. (Reporting by Bernard Orr in Beijing and Ahmed Eljechtimi in Rabat; Editing by Chris Reese and Christian Schmollinger)

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024. Click For Restrictions – https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html