Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema reaffirmed his country's firm adherence to the one-China principle and hailed China's zero-tariff policy for 53 African countries, in an interview ahead of his state visit to China from November 3 to 7.
In the interview with China Media Group (CMG), Nguema also expressed his willingness to work for further deepening bilateral economic and trade cooperation between his country and China, and expand Gabon's production capacity.
China and Gabon officially established diplomatic relations on April 20, 1974. Nguema said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties, cooperation between the two countries has continued to deepen.
"Gabon has always adhered to the one-China principle. We have consistently recognized that there is only one China in the world, and Gabon supports a strong, united and unified China. For our generation, we are carrying forward this history of friendship. Our responsibility is to safeguard the achievements our two countries have already made in cooperation and, more importantly, to inject new substance into this partnership," he said.
Starting May 1, 2026, China fully implemented zero-tariff measures for 53 African countries that have established diplomatic relations with China. Nguema spoke positively of this measure.
"I believe that this measure implemented by China benefits both Gabon and the whole of Africa. China has fully implemented zero-tariff measures for 53 African countries with diplomatic relations with China. This is an important measure conducive to Africa's development. I admire Chinese President Xi Jinping's vision," he said.
Nguema said that Gabon hopes to take advantage of this opportunity to expand the production and export of products such as palm oil, coffee and cocoa, and to attract more Chinese enterprises to invest in Gabon to help the country increase production capacity and develop processing industries.
Speaking of the ongoing ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, Nguema emphasized the importance of the event for Gabon.
"I will go to Shanghai, and Gabon will also participate in this expo. I hope that Gabonese business people, entrepreneurs and agricultural practitioners will actively participate and showcase their products and the fruits of their labor. This is an opportunity worth seizing. At the same time, we also hope to use the expo to attract more Chinese investors to come to Gabon, conduct on-site inspections of local production conditions, and jointly study how to expand production capacity, build more factories, and promote Gabonese products into the Chinese market," he said.
The ninth CIIE runs in Shanghai from November 5 to 10. Since its debut in 2018, the CIIE has become a showcase of China's new development paradigm, a platform for high-standard opening-up, and a public good for the whole world.
Gabon committed to one-China principle, deeper ties with China: president
China's second domestically built large cruise ship, Adora Flora City, was delivered to its operator Adora Cruises -- a Chinese-American cruise line -- in Shanghai on Friday, marking the country's entry into a new phase of serial large cruise ship building.
The cruise ship, which features distinctive Chinese-style characteristics, is scheduled to launch its inaugural season from the Nansha International Cruise Home Port in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province in south China.
Adora Flora City was built by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Company, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). Construction of the cruise ship began in August 2022.
Compared with China's first domestically built large cruise ship, Adora Magic City, the overall construction efficiency improved by 20 percent, according to project figures.
The new ship is larger, with more advanced onboard equipment. Its gross tonnage has increased by 6,400 tons to 141,900 tons, and its total length has increased by 17.4 meters to 341 meters. It has 2,130 guest cabins and can accommodate 5,232 passengers at full capacity.
"Our second homegrown large cruise ship saw a reduction of nearly four million work hours compared to its predecessor. Normally, a civilian vessel takes about one million work hours to build. The reduction in manual labor was substantial, and the work efficiency improved very quickly. For the new large cruise ship, the construction time was shortened by eight months, and the localization rate for interior materials fitting has reached 80 percent," said Chen Jianwei, deputy general manager of Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Company.
Large cruise ships are among the most complex giant system engineering projects in the global industrial system, said Chen Gang, on-site chief commander and chief designer of China's domestically built large cruise ship project.
Adora Flora City has as many as 25 million parts components, and drives the development of about 1,500 upstream and downstream supporting suppliers, reflecting the country's comprehensive industrial strength and advanced manufacturing level, he added.
"As far as the research and development side is concerned, we have preliminarily established a cruise research and development system and completed the implementation and verification of key technologies. In terms of the construction side, we have established the design system and standards for our production. In terms of the supply chain side, we have cultivated a supply chain system based on domestic and international dual circulations. We will follow the parallel strategy of manufacturing, designing, and research and development across generations. The forward conceptual design for China's third homegrown large cruise ship has already begun," Chen said.
After delivery, Adora Flora City will conduct trial voyages and carry out various preparatory tasks before its scheduled maiden voyage. It is due to arrive at the Nansha International Cruise Home Port on Nov. 12, with its inaugural season set to begin on Nov. 22.
China's second homegrown large cruise ship delivered in Shanghai
