Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema began a five-day state visit to China on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at the invitation of his counterpart, Xi Jinping. The focus of this trip is strengthening the economic and strategic partnership between Libreville and Beijing, which are celebrating 52 years of diplomatic relations.
The discussions focus on areas such as energy, agriculture, digital technology, health, infrastructure, and vocational training. Gabon also aims to secure more technology transfers and develop local processing of its natural resources to create more added value and jobs.
Economic cooperation between the two countries is already showing progress. In 2025, their trade reached $3,19 billion, an increase of 8,3%. Furthermore, the customs exemption granted by China, effective May 1, 2026, to products from 53 African countries opens new prospects for Gabonese exports, traditionally dominated by manganese, timber, and crude oil.
For several years, China has been involved in financing and developing infrastructure in Gabon, including roads, sports facilities and hospital facilities.
This visit should allow the two countries to take stock of more than five decades of cooperation and to define new areas of partnership for the years to come.
Djamila Kambou
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