A joint statement issued during Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema’s visit to Beijing set out a wider agenda for China-Gabon relations, including mining, security and official exchanges, Reuters reported Friday.
The governments said they had elevated diplomatic ties and called for closer contact across political, government, party, legislative and local channels, Reuters reported, citing the statement released by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency.
Mining was one area identified for deeper cooperation. China said it would support Gabon in using its resource advantages to drive development, according to the statement.
The two sides also pledged to deepen peace and security ties through expanded institutional exchanges. The statement called for stronger cooperation in trade, education and public health, Reuters reported.
Separately, Reuters reported that Chinese state media said Chinese President Xi Jinping told Oligui in Beijing that China wanted to be a “reliable friend and partner” in Gabon’s independent development.
