CPAFFC Delegation Visits Gabon

In March， when warm spring had come and flowers were in bloom， a CPAFFC delegation visited Gabon. It was accorded warm welcome from the Gabon-China Friendship Association（GCFA）， with Ms. Pierrette Djouassa， former Procurator General of Gabon and President of the GCFA， leading all her members to greet the delegation at the airport.

Mr. Jean Ping， the first President of the GCFA and former President of the African Union， had talks with the delegation soon after its arrival. He especially mentioned his father was from Wenzhou， Zhejiang Province， and so he had Chinese blood flowing in his veins. He followed China’s development with great interest and called himself a“Wenzhou friendship envoy to Gabon”.

That evening， Guy Nzouba Ndama， Honorary President of the GCFA and President of the Gabonese National Assembly， held a reception in honor of the delegation， attended by over 50 friends from Gabonese political and business circles. In a warm speech， M. Nzouba recalled the late Gabonese President Omar Bongo had visited China 11 times and enjoyed a longstanding friendship with four generations of Chinese leaders. The current President Ali Bongo Ondimba， leading his people to build Gabon into an emerging country， hopes to strengthen strategic cooperation with China and further consolidate the friendly relationship.

Reporters from the Chinese magazine Africa travelling with the delegation interviewed renowned personages of various circles of Gabon present at the reception. A delegation member from the China Communications Construction Company Limited （CCCC） showed a PowerPoint of the planning， design and effects of the port and the Mandji Free Zone in Port-Gentil （center of the country’s oil and timber industry）， which would be developed by the company.

On the second day， President Ali Bongo， meeting the delegation， recalled the traditional friendship jointly forged by the late President Omar Bongo and Chinese leaders. He said that he would follow the same path and further strengthen the friendship. He also affirmed the important role played by the Chinese enterprises in promoting Gabon’s economic development and hoped that more could participate in the national construction. Gabon was an open country ready to provide a good investment environment for investors. He hoped the two sides would understand and respect each other and make joint efforts to achieve win-win progress.

The delegation also met with Magloire Ngambia， Minister of Investment Promotion， Public Works， Transportation， Housing， Tourism and Management of Territory； Jean Baptiste Bikalou， President of the Chamber of Commerce， Agriculture， Industry， Mines and Crafts； and Bernard Aperano， Mayor of Port-Gentil City.

During the visit， the delegation extended invitations to Jean Ping， Cristiane Leckat， Vice Minister Responsible for Housing， and mayors of Port-Gentil City and Libreville to lead delegations to participate in the Second China-Africa Governors and Mayors Dialogue to be held in China in June by the CPAFFC. The delegation also invited the Gabonese business associations of agriculture， industry， mines and handicraft to organize entrepreneurs to attend the event.

Next year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Gabon. During the visit， reporters sent by the CPAFFC for the first time had video interviews with the Gabonese President， the President of the National Assembly， government officials and businesspeople， and gathered a great number of materials for the production of a TV documentary and the publication of a special issue on Gabon by Africa magazine. The documentary will be shown both in China and Gabon.

During the visit， the CCCC also reached an agreement with relevant Gabonese department on a US$2bn port and Mandji Free Zone construction project in Port-Gentil City， which could create 10，000 local jobs. The two sides were due to sign a formal agreement at the end of April for construction to start within the year.

With the forthcoming 40th anniversary of China-Gabon diplomatic relations， it is hoped the efforts to ensure firm friendship between the Chinese and Gabonese people will bear rich fruits.