Envoy points to gateway between civilizations

Morocco's location is also paramount for Chinese businesses.

"The country is a window to Africa and Europe, which gives it an unparalleled advantage."

From it, the entire African market can be reached, particularly West Africa. It is also very close to Europe, the port city of Tangiers being about 25 kilometers from Spain.

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Sea passages and ferry services also link Morocco and Europe and there are convenient air connections. From Rabat, the capital, Paris and Madrid are just two-and-a-half hours away by air.

Free trade agreements that Morocco has signed are another attraction for Chinese investors, Sun says.

Morocco has signed such agreements with the United States, the European Union, Turkey, Jordan, Tunisia and West Africa that eliminate tariffs, import quotas and preferences on most goods and services traded between the signatories.

"In recent years, many Chinese businesses have aspired to go global. If they are targeting consumer markets in Europe, the US or Africa, Morocco would be a good choice for setting up production bases. They can make good use of the free trade agreements to export goods to target buyers, which will help them cut production and transport costs."

As a middle-income country with a population of 32 million and annual GDP of $4,000 per capita, production costs in Morocco may not be very competitive in terms of investment costs, Sun says. But that should not affect Morocco's appeal as an investment destination.

"I have worked in Europe and Africa for a long time. There is something about Morocco that has really impressed me, and that is the high quality of the local human resources. The local workforce can generate output of relatively higher value, and as such negates the disadvantages of higher costs."