China’s New Ambassador Distributes Food Baskets During Ramadan

The recently accredited China’s ambassador to Morocco, Li Changlin, has begun conducting official business in the country, with the signing of the partnership with the Al Rayane Association.

Changlin began his ambassador work in an official capacity on April 23, upon handing over his official accreditation to Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita. The ambassador’s first efforts in the country are building cooperation with the charitable Al Rayane Association, to launch an operation for the distribution of food baskets to those in need. 

Speaking to LaQuotidienne, the Chinese embassy clarified that it will be mainly participating to ensure “transparency and fairness in the procedure,” and watch over the various stages of distribution, while the Al Rayane Association will work to identify the families in need.

“This signature must be placed in its double context. The first is that of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic which has seriously impacted families in precarious situations. The embassy thus wants to make a gesture of solidarity and comfort towards these families during this holy month of Ramadan which represents the second context,” underlined the ambassador.

Changlin also explained that the embassy is “ready to explore ways and means allowing better collaboration with associations” in the future, so that in the coming years they will be “carrying out major projects in partnership with associations and in collaboration with government authorities for the well-being of local populations.”

The Chinese embassy, in accordance with Morocco’s precautionary measures, will be helping deliver food baskets consisting of soft and hard flour, oil, sugar, lentils, tea, and other essential products.

Changlin is a seasoned diplomat, with a wealth of experience under his belt. He started his career as a government official at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1986. Before coming to work in Morocco, he served as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Burundi, between September 2017 to February 2021. From 2014 he worked as Deputy Director General of the Foreign Affairs Bureau of the People’s Government of Anhui Province in China.

“I made my first stay in the Kingdom in 1993-1994. I am extremely happy to return to Morocco, a country for which I have great admiration,” Changlin told the Moroccan daily.