President Xi Jinping says ready to carry forward traditional China-Gabon friendship

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that China is ready to work with Gabon to carry forward the traditional friendship between the two countries during a meeting with Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, who is in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

Xi said the friendly and cooperative relations between China and Gabon have become a model for China's relations with Africa and other developing countries.

China is willing to work with Gabon to create an even brighter future for their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, he added.

Xi said China is willing to take the FOCAC summit as an opportunity to deepen cooperation between the two countries in areas such as infrastructure, agriculture, health and the digital economy to help Gabon diversify its economic transformation.

China is also willing to strengthen cooperation with the Gabonese side in counter-terrorism and security to promote domestic stability and regional peace and security, he added.

Nguema said the Gabon-China relationship is very close in all fields, and China is Gabon's most important partner that has contributed to the country's development in many ways. He expressed gratitude for China's support for the political transition process in Gabon.

Gabon firmly adheres to the one-China policy and will work with China to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, said Nguema.

He said Gabon and China actively cooperate under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, adding that the two countries continue to deepen their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

During the summit, the two countries signed bilateral documents in areas such as investment, economic cooperation and infrastructure development.

(With input from Xinhua)