Beijing, May 12 (IANS): Morocco has decided to exempt Chinese nationals from having visa to enter the north African country from June 2016.

This was announced by visiting Moroccan monarch, King Mohammed VI, during his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People here on Wednesday. 

Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Salaheddine Mezouar explained that the decision follows the King's desire to deepen and diversify Moroccan-Chinese relations, and Morocco's keenness to open up for more bilateral humanitarian, cultural, economic and political exchanges, according to Moroccan news agency MAP. 

The Moroccan monarch, who is on an official visit to the China, also inked a joint statement on the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries. 

Both leaders also presided over the signing ceremony of several cooperation documents related to the legal, economic, financial, industrial, cultural, tourist, energy, infrastructure and consular sectors. 

China has already made deep inroads into Africa with a slew of major infrastructure projects and aid programmes as it mines the 54-nation continent for energy and minerals to meet its unending requirements.