Ali Bongo Ondimba, president of Gabon, is visiting China from April 18 to 21 and the trip, according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is expected to inject new impetus into the in-depth development of China-Gabon relations and also mark new achievements.

As an important country in Central Africa, Gabon was one of the destinations of Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang's first new year's visit in January 2023.

The friendship between China and Gabon has been "as firm as a rock" since the establishment of diplomatic relations 49 years ago. In December 2016, the two countries upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive cooperative partnership.

The two countries have continuously deepened political mutual trust, conducted practical cooperation, and supported each other on issues concerning each other's interests and major concerns since then.

During this visit, two heads of state – namely Chinese President Xi Jinping and Bongo – will hold talks and jointly attend the signing ceremony of cooperation documents.

China has been Gabon's largest trade partner for nine consecutive years as the two economies are highly complementary. Bilateral trade reached $4.55 billion in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 50.8 percent.

Within those trade figures, forestry cooperation has played a prominent role. Gabon has a high forest coverage rate and its total timber reserves are among the top-ranked in Africa. A number of Chinese companies are engaged in timber processing and trade in the special economic zone of Gabon's capital, which strongly supports the country's industrialization process and diversified development strategy.

Meanwhile, China said it is welcoming Gabon to actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative, enhance cooperation in the fields of infrastructure development, energy, mining, and agriculture.