BEIJING - China hopes the Western Sahara issue can be properly resolved through dialogues and consultation within the framework of the United Nations, and China is willing to play an active role for this objective, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said here Monday.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R) meets with Moroccan Prime Minister Driss Jettou at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Nov. 6, 2006. [Xinhua]

Wen made the remarks when meeting Moroccan Prime Minister Driss Jettou, who is visiting China after attending the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation which ended Sunday afternoon.

China appreciated the efforts of Morocco in seeking a solution to the Western Sahara issue through political means, Wen said.

The Chinese premier also said it is an established policy of China to increase political trust with Morocco and expand cooperation in agriculture, fishery, communications and personnel training.

Jettou said that the Morocco-China relationship based on friendship and mutual respect has been evolving positively, witnessing rapid trade exchange.

Chinese enterprises' active participation in Morocco's construction in the sectors of fishery, telecommunication and infrastructure has contributed to the African country's economic development, he said.

Morocco would like to deepen its cooperative partnership with China, make full use of the measures China promised to take to boost African development and turn Morocco into an important gateway for Chinese firms to enter the African and Arabic markets, the Prime Minister said.

China and Morocco forged diplomatic ties on November 1, 1958.

The king of Morocco, Mohammed VI, visited China in 2002 and Chinese President Hu Jintao paid a state visit to Morocco in April, 2006.

Morocco is now a destination country for Chinese tourists. Bilateral trade reached 1.484 billion US dollars in 2005.

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