China and Gabon upgraded bilateral relations to a strategic community with a shared future during high-level diplomatic talks in Beijing, targeting expanded cooperation in mining, industrialization, and joint defense infrastructure.
According to an official joint statement released Friday by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the agreement follows bilateral negotiations between President Xi Jinping and Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema at the Great Hall of the People.
The updated framework targets Gabon’s natural resource assets, accelerating domestic processing of manganese and iron ore while integrating local production lines directly into Chinese industrial supply chains.
Beijing also pledged expanded security support, establishing structured defense exchanges, joint military capacity building, and institutional cooperation between armed forces and law enforcement agencies under the Global Security Initiative framework.
To boost economic engagement, China reaffirmed its zero-tariff policy covering 100% of tariff lines for African nations, easing export pathways for Gabonese agricultural and processed goods.
Total bilateral trade between both nations climbed 8.2% year-on-year to $3.94 billion in 2025. Chinese imports of Gabonese raw materials comprised $3.12 billion of that trade volume.
The talks mark President Oligui Nguema’s first official state visit to China since assuming the presidency, aligning with Libreville’s National Growth and Development Plan for 2026–2030.
President Xi affirmed China’s commitment to supporting Gabon’s economic sovereignty. President Oligui Nguema reiterated Gabon’s formal alignment with the One-China principle.
