China, Gabon elevate ties, pledge deeper mining, security cooperation

BEIJING, Nov 6 - China and Gabon elevated their diplomatic ties during a state visit by the Central African nation's president to China, and are looking to deepen cooperation in the areas of mining and security, they said in a joint statement on Friday.

• China and Gabon agreed to pursue closer high-level political, governmental, party, legislative and local exchanges, according to the statement released by China's state-run Xinhua news agency

• China and Gabon are willing to further deepen cooperation in the mining sector, and China said it would "support Gabon in turning its resource advantages into drivers of development"

• The two nations are committed to strengthening cooperation in peace and security, pledging to expand exchanges between their armed forces and law enforcement and security agencies, the statement said

• The statement also called for deeper cooperation in trade, education and public health

• "China is willing to be a reliable friend and partner in Gabon's independent development," Chinese President Xi Jinping told his counterpart Brice Oligui Nguema during a meeting in Beijing on Friday, Chinese state media reported REUTERS