Chinese President Hu Jintao is due to visit Morocco on April 24 on a three-day official visit as part of a four-nation tour. The tour he to Nigeria, Kenya and Saudi Arabia, the foreign affairs and co-operation ministry said on Wednesday.

It is said the Moroccan visit, initiated by King Mohammad VI, would boost bilateral relations between the two countries. In 2005, China's export to Morocco, of mainly food, energy products and equipment amounted to $1.04bn. In return, Morocco exported fishery products and phosphates to China worth $68mn. The volume of Chinese goods, which represent five percent of Morocco's total imports, increased by 42.4 percent in 2005 compared to the previous year.