Interview: Former Moroccan party leader says notable achievements made since CPC's founding

RABAT, April 5 -- In all of his visits to China since 2006, Ilyas El Omari, former general secretary of the Authenticity and Modernity Party of Morocco, could feel that China had made tangible progress in agriculture, industry, commerce, urban construction, culture and politics.

These achievements cannot be accomplished without the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Omari told Xinhua recently.

The CPC analyzes the gains and losses in the past and makes correct plans for the future, said Omari, adding that it is this ruling philosophy of keeping pace with the times that has constantly enhanced China's influence in the economic, political and diplomatic fields.

Noting that the CPC has achieved its goal of eradicating absolute poverty before the party's 100th founding anniversary this year, Omari said that was in the interests of the Chinese people and the people of the world, and was a major achievement made by the CPC and the Chinese people.

Since its founding, Omari said, the CPC has paid attention to the interests of farmers and rural areas, and has never forgotten to support agricultural development when promoting economic development.

The CPC has established close ties with the people and under its leadership, China has the ability to continue to promote the development of rural areas, he said.

Omari was invited to participate in the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting in Beijing in 2017. He said he was deeply impressed by the remarks on jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind made at the meeting by Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

"People across the world should be guided by the vision that all the people under the heaven are of one family, embrace each other with open arms, enhance mutual understanding, and seek common ground while setting aside differences. Together, we should endeavor to build a community with a shared future for mankind," Xi said then.

The way China has managed the COVID-19 epidemic is smart and successful, Omari said, adding that he saw the Chinese method as an example of crisis management.

On the Morocco-China relationship, he said that the friendship between the two countries boasts a long history, noting that Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta visited China in as early as the 14th century.

Morocco has an important strategic position connecting Africa and Europe, while China is the second largest economy in the world, he said, adding that cooperation between the two countries is complementary and mutually beneficial.

In the interview, Omari proposed that the two sides should further strengthen economic and cultural exchanges, enhance mutual understanding, and use this as a basis to consolidate further cooperation between the two countries in the political and diplomatic fields.