China–Gabon relations

In the early 20th century, Chinese people migrated to Gabon from provinces such as Zhejiang in southeastern China.{{cite book |author1=周南京、华侨华人百科全书编辑委员会 |title=华侨华人百科全书: 历史卷, 第 8 卷 |date=2002 |publisher=中国华侨出版社 |isbn=9787801206275 |page=209}}{{cite news |date=2016-08-28 |title=华人移民之子让·平角逐加蓬总统 或有机会胜出 |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com//world/2016-08/28/c_129259115.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525210207/http://www.xinhuanet.com//world/2016-08/28/c_129259115.htm |archive-date=2023-05-25 |accessdate=2023-06-23 |via=人民网 |agency=新华通讯社 |url-status=live}}

On August 17, 1960, when Gabon gained independence, Premier Zhou Enlai of the People’s Republic of China sent a congratulatory message.{{cite book |author1=中国二十世紀通鉴编辑委员会 |title=《中国二十世紀通鉴：1941-1960》 |date=2002 |publisher=线装書局 |isbn=9787801061942 |page=3981}} On the same day, Foreign Minister Chen Yi announced that the government of the People’s Republic of China recognized the Republic of Gabon. However, Gabon did not immediately establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. Instead, on December 9, 1960, it established diplomatic relations with the government of the Republic of China, which had retreated to Taiwan.{{cite book |author1=黃剛 |title=《1949-1996 世界相關各國與中華民國終斷使領關係之述論》 |date=1997 |publisher=國立政治大學國際關係硏究中心 |isbn=9789570213386 |page=66}} 1971, at the 26th United Nations General Assembly, Gabon’s representatives even opposed the People’s Republic of China’s joining the United Nations.{{Cite web |date=2018-09-13 |title=把中国抬进联合国的，到底是不是非洲兄弟？ |url=http://inews.ifeng.com/yidian/60062029/news.shtml?ch=ref_zbs_ydzx_news |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221144400/http://inews.ifeng.com/yidian/60062029/news.shtml%3Fch%3Dref_zbs_ydzx_news |archive-date=2019-12-21 |accessdate=2019-12-21 |publisher=鳳凰網 |url-status=live}}

Despite this, after 1972, the Gabonese government began to strengthen its diplomatic relations with the government of the People's Republic of China, and finally severed diplomatic relations with the government of the Republic of China on March 30, 1974. On April 20 of the same year, the Chinese government appointed Wang Peng, the ambassador extraordinarily and plenipotentiary to Mauritania, as its plenipotentiary representative to Gabon, and signed a Joint Communique in Libreville with Gabonese government representative and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Presidential Palace, Dokwatsege, announcing the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.{{cite book |author1=李春萍 |title=1974年的故事 |date=2001 |publisher=中国少年儿童出版社 |isbn=7-5007-3436-0 |editor= |location=北京 |pages=56–58 |accessdate=2023-04-17}} Since then, bilateral relations have developed smoothly and friendly. On June 30, 1974, Dokwatsege led a friendly delegation from the Gabonese Republic to visit China. On October 4, Gabonese President El Hadj Omar Bongo and his wife paid a state visit to China and met with Chairman Mao Zedong of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. During the visit, the two sides signed the China-Gabon Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement and the Trade Agreement, and issued a press release.{{cite book |title=国际知识 第7辑 |date=1976 |publisher=贵州人民出版社 |location=贵阳 |oclc=298653093 |accessdate=2023-04-17}} Since then, until his death in 2009, Omar visited the People's Republic of China ten times and attended the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.{{cite news |author1=龚春辉、陈嵘伟 |date=2023-04-19 |title=这位正在访华的非洲国家元首，曾到访过广东这里 |url=https://www.southcn.com/node_0183de080d/eced7f2f5c.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420152300/https://www.southcn.com/node_0183de080d/eced7f2f5c.shtml |archive-date=2023-04-20 |accessdate=2023-06-23 |work=南方日报 |agency=新华通讯社 |url-status=live}} In February 2004, President Hu Jintao visited Gabon. El Hadj Omar Bongo personally went to the Libreville International Airport to greet him. Hu Jintao thus became the first top leader of the People's Republic of China to visit Gabon.{{cite book |author1=魏建国 |title=此生难忘是非洲 |date=2011 |publisher=中国商务出版社 |isbn=978-7-5103-0376-0 |location=北京 |page=351 |accessdate=2023-04-17}} After Omar's death, Hu Jintao also sent a message of condolences to the Gabonese government and appointed Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang as a special envoy to attend Omar's funeral.{{Cite news |date=2009-06-10 |title=胡锦涛就加蓬总统邦戈逝世向加蓬代总统致唁电 |url=http://news.cctv.com/china/20090610/111426.shtml |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624041453/http://news.cctv.com/china/20090610/111426.shtml |archivedate=2023-06-24 |via=央视网 |agency=中新社}}{{cite news |date=2009-06-17 |title=胡锦涛主席特使张德江出席加蓬总统邦戈的葬礼 |url=https://www.gov.cn/ldhd/2009-06/17/content_1342184.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090725061752/http://www.gov.cn/ldhd/2009-06/17/content_1342184.htm |archive-date=2009-07-25 |accessdate=2023-06-23 |via=中国政府网 |agency=新华通讯社 |url-status=live}}

After El Hadj Omar Bongo passed away, his son Ali Bongo Ondimba became the President of Gabon. Like his father, Ali Bongo also attached great importance to developing diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. In May 2010, he visited the People's Republic of China for the first time and attended the opening ceremony of the Shanghai World Expo. During the Expo, Gabonese Prime Minister Mba also attended the Gabon National Pavilion Day event at the Shanghai World Expo.{{Cite news |author1=邹瑞玥 |date=2010-07-30 |title=总理亲临加蓬世博国家馆日 总统母亲一展歌喉 |url=https://www.chinanews.com.cn/expo/2010/07-30/2437670.shtml |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624041643/https://www.chinanews.com.cn/expo/2010/07-30/2437670.shtml |archivedate=2023-06-24 |agency=中新社}} In December 2016, Ali Bongo visited China for the second time, during which China and Gabon agreed to upgrade bilateral relations to a "comprehensive cooperative partnership".{{Cite news |date=2016-12-07 |title=习近平同加蓬总统邦戈举行会谈 两国元首决定建立中加全面合作伙伴关系 |url=https://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2016-12/07/content_5144749.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624041744/https://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2016-12/07/content_5144749.htm |archivedate=2023-06-24 |via=中国政府网 |agency=新华通讯社}} In August 2018, Ali Bongo visited China for the third time and attended the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. In January 2023, the newly appointed Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang also visited Gabon.{{cite news |title=加蓬总统邦戈会见秦刚 |url=https://www.mfa.gov.cn/web/wjbz_673089/bzzj/2023/01/202301/t20230112_11006576.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230617163528/https://www.mfa.gov.cn/web/wjbz_673089/bzzj/2023/01/202301/t20230112_11006576.shtml |archive-date=2023-06-17 |accessdate=2023-04-17 |work=中华人民共和国外交部 |url-status=live}} In April 2023, Ali Bongo visited China for the fourth time.{{cite news |title=外交部发言人介绍加蓬总统访华安排 |url=http://www.gov.cn/lianbo/2023-04/14/content_5751551.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230617163529/https://www.gov.cn/lianbo/2023-04/14/content_5751551.htm |archive-date=2023-06-17 |accessdate=2023-04-17 |work=中国政府网 |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |title=加蓬总统邦戈将于4月18日至21日访华 |url=https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_22698912 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602233027/https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_22698912 |archive-date=2023-06-02 |accessdate=2023-04-17 |work=澎湃新闻 |url-status=live}} During the visit, the two countries issued a joint statement, agreeing to establish a "comprehensive strategic partnership" between China and Gabon.{{cite news |title=习近平同加蓬总统邦戈举行会谈 |url=https://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/2023/04-19/9993086.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230617163525/http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/2023/04-19/9993086.shtml |archive-date=2023-06-17 |accessdate=2023-04-19 |work=中国经济网 |url-status=live}}

Since China and Gabon signed their first economic, technical and trade agreement in 1974, the two countries have successively signed an investment protection agreement in May 1997, a renewed trade agreement in 2006, and an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation and a memorandum of understanding on jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative in September 2018. These agreements have also provided a legal basis for the strengthening of trade relations between the two countries.{{cite web |author1=商务部国际贸易经济合作研究院、中国驻加蓬大使馆经济商务处、商务部对外投资和经济合作司 |date=2022 |title=对外投资合作国别（地区）指南 加蓬 （2022年版） |url=http://www.mofcom.gov.cn/dl/gbdqzn/upload/jiapeng.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404113139/http://www.mofcom.gov.cn/dl/gbdqzn/upload/jiapeng.pdf |archive-date=2023-04-04 |access-date=2023-06-23 |website=中华人民共和国商务部 |url-status=live}}{{rp|23}}

Between 2005 and 2014, trade between the China and Gabon grew by 600%.{{Cite web |last=Colville |first=Alex |date=2023-09-12 |title=In post-coup Gabon, China urges 'peace, stability, and development' |url=https://thechinaproject.com/2023/09/12/in-post-coup-gabon-china-urges-peace-stability-and-development/ |access-date=2025-04-27 |website=The China Project |language=en-US}} According to statistics from the Gabonese government, China has been Gabon's largest trading partner for several consecutive years since 2013.{{rp|21}} In 2022, the bilateral trade volume between China and Gabon reached US$4.55 billion, an increase of 50.8% over 2021. Among them, China imported about US$3.97 billion of products from Gabon, mainly including oil, manganese ore, timber, etc., while Gabon imported US$580 million from China, an increase of 34.6% over the same period last year, mainly imported mechanical and electrical products, cement and steel products.{{cite web |date=April 2023 |title=中国同加蓬的关系 |url=https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/web/gjhdq_676201/gj_676203/fz_677316/1206_677800/sbgx_677804/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200720130713/https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/web/gjhdq_676201/gj_676203/fz_677316/1206_677800/sbgx_677804/ |archive-date=2020-07-20 |accessdate=2023-06-23 |website=中华人民共和国外交部 |url-status=live}} 22% of China’s manganese ore is imported from Gabon.

In terms of investment, China has become one of Gabon's largest sources of investment, along with France, Morocco and other countries. From 2000 to 2011, there are approximately 25 Chinese official development finance projects identified in Gabon through various media reports.Austin Strange, Bradley C. Parks, Michael J. Tierney, Andreas Fuchs, Axel Dreher, and Vijaya Ramachandran. 2013. China's Development Finance to Africa: A Media-Based Approach to Data Collection. CGD Working Paper 323. Washington DC: Center for Global Development.[https://web.archive.org/web/20130713135832/http://china.aiddata.org] These projects range from extending a concessionary loan of $83.1 million to fund the Grand Poubara Dam in 2008,Strange, Parks, Tierney, Fuchs, Dreher, and Ramachandran, China's Development Finance to Africa: A Media-Based Approach to Data Collection.http://aiddatachina.org/projects/85 to the construction of the Stade de l’Amitié, also known as the ‘friendship stadium'. As of the end of 2021, China's direct investment in Gabon reached US$218 million, with investment areas mainly in traditional industries such as oil extraction and manganese ore exploration and development.{{rp|24}} Chinese companies manage half of Gabon's logging areas.

File:Libreville-palais-senat.jpg

In the field of literature and art, in 1982, the People's Republic of China sent an acrobatic troupe to visit Gabon for the first time. Later, it sent art troupes to Gabon for performances many times, all of which were welcomed and well received by the Gabonese government and people. In 1985, Gabon also sent a dance troupe to visit and perform in China.{{cite book |author1=新中囯对外文化交流史略编委会 |title=《新中囯对外文化交流史略》 |date=1999 |publisher=中国友谊出版公司 |isbn=9787505714779 |page=313}} In February 2014, Gabon National Television also cooperated with China Radio International to launch the Chinese TV series "The Good Times of Daughter-in-law" in Gabon for the first time.{{Cite web |author=中华人民共和国商务部 |date=2014-02-21 |title=电视剧《媳妇的美好时代》放映时间通报 |url=https://finance.ifeng.com/a/20140221/11720135_0.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624041940/https://finance.ifeng.com/a/20140221/11720135_0.shtml |archive-date=2023-06-24 |website=凤凰网}} In the field of education, in 1975, one year after the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Gabon, the government of the People's Republic of China began to provide government scholarships to Gabon. In Gabon, some higher education institutions such as Omar Bongo University have also opened Chinese courses. Among them, Bongo University and Tianjin Foreign Studies University of the People 's Republic of China jointly established the first Confucius Institute in Gabon in 2018.{{cite book |author1=王泰平（中华人民共和国外交部外交史编辑室） |title=《中国外交概览（1995年）》 |date=December 1995 |publisher=世界知识出版社 |isbn=9787501207510 |page=214}}{{Cite web |author=中国投资参考 |date=2021-11-17 |title=“另一扇门打开了”——加蓬邦戈大学孔子学院纪实 |url=https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_15420696 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624042617/https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_15420696 |archive-date=2023-06-24 |website=澎湃新闻}}

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China has provided a lot of humanitarian assistance to Gabon, including the construction of the National Assembly Building, the Senate Building Friendship and some schools.{{Cite news |date=2021-06-15 |title=中国援建加蓬国民议会大厦维修和礼堂重建项目交付启用 |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/world/2021-06/15/c_1127565355.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624042817/http://www.xinhuanet.com/world/2021-06/15/c_1127565355.htm |archivedate=2023-06-24 |agency=新华通讯社}}{{cite news |author1=Carole KOUASSI（非洲新闻台） |date=2017-05-26 |title=La Chine va réhabiliter le Parlement incendié du Gabon |url=https://fr.africanews.com/2017/05/26/la-chine-va-rehabiliter-le-parlement-incendie-du-gabon/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325143759/https://fr.africanews.com/2017/05/26/la-chine-va-rehabiliter-le-parlement-incendie-du-gabon/ |archive-date=2023-03-25 |accessdate=2023-06-23 |language=fr |url-status=live}} In addition, China has provided Gabon with preferential loans to assist the country in building various facilities, such as a new building for the Gabonese national broadcaster in 2007. It has also provided Gabon with agricultural and animal husbandry technical support for a long time.{{cite book |author1=陈宗德，姚桂梅主编 |title=非洲各国农业概况 1 |date=2000 |publisher=中国财政经济出版社 |isbn=7-5005-4812-5 |location=北京 |page=273 |accessdate=2023-04-17}}{{cite book |author1=馬佳士、史大偉（著）；汪段泳（譯） |title=《中國與非洲 : 一個世紀的交往》 |date=2020 |publisher=香港中文大學出版社 |isbn=9789629968199 |page=189}} After the outbreak of COVID-19 in Gabon, the Chinese government has successively provided Gabon with multiple batches of anti-epidemic materials and 400,000 doses of vaccines, and carried out anti-epidemic experience exchanges and cooperation with Gabon Chinese companies and institutions have also donated epidemic prevention materials. After the outbreak of COVID-19 in Gabon has have also donated epidemic prevention materials.{{Cite news |date=2021-03-15 |title=首批中国援助加蓬新冠疫苗运抵利伯维尔 |url=http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2021/03-13/9431425.shtml |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624043030/https://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/2021/03-13/9431425.shtml |archivedate=2023-06-24 |agency=中新社}}

In 2009, the People's Liberation Army held a joint humanitarian and medical training practice in Gabon which was the PLA's first joint military exercise conducted in Africa.{{Rp|page=242}}

On its 2017 medical mission to Africa, the People's Liberation Army Navy hospital ship Peace Ark traveled to Gabon.{{Rp|page=284}}

In June 2020, Gabon was one of 53 countries that backed the Hong Kong national security law at the United Nations.{{cite web |last1=Lawler |first1=Dave |date=2 July 2020 |title=The 53 countries supporting China's crackdown on Hong Kong |url=https://www.axios.com/countries-supporting-china-hong-kong-law-0ec9bc6c-3aeb-4af0-8031-aa0f01a46a7c.html |access-date=3 July 2020 |website=Axios |language=en}} In 2021, Gabon signed a letter to the UN stating, "Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Tibet-related issues are China’s internal affairs that brook no interference."

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{{Foreign relations of China}}

{{Foreign relations of Gabon}}

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Gabon

Category:Bilateral relations of Gabon