China and Gabon pledged to carry forward their traditional friendship and beef up all-round cooperation here on Thursday.
The consensus was reached as Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Gabonese counterpart, Ali Bongo Ondimba, met ahead of a summit on China-Africa cooperation in the South African economic hub from Friday to Saturday.
Noting both Ali Bongo and his father, Omar Bongo Ondimba, former Gabonese president, are old and good friends of Chinese people, Xi pointed out the two Gabonese leaders are also staunch supporters and facilitators of bilateral relations.
Thanks to the joint efforts of the two sides, the China-Gabon cooperation has yielded fruitful results, benefiting the two peoples and winning their strong support, said Xi. The two countries, he suggested, should further consolidate the political foundation of their bilateral ties and intensify cultural exchanges to improve mutual understanding between the two peoples, especially between the young generations.
China supports enhanced cooperation with Gabon in production capacity, agriculture and new energy, Xi said, adding that the Chinese side is willing to encourage its businesses to take part in Gabon's infrastructure construction and development of energy resources. China stands ready to improve communication and coordination with Gabon on major international and regional issues, Xi noted.
Calling China an "old friend" and a "reliable partner" of Gabon, Ali Bongo expressed his gratitude to China for its support and assistance to Gabon's economic development, construction of infrastructure as well as building of security capability.
Gabon welcomes China's investment in areas including forestry, agriculture and export of agricultural products, Ali Bongo said, vowing that his country stands ready to become the hub of entry for Chinese citizens and enterprises to central Africa. Both Xi and Ali Bongo are in Johannesburg for the second summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
The 15-year-old forum groups China, 50 African countries that have diplomatic ties with China, and the Commission of the African Union.
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