Gabon’s President Nguema Emphasizes Local Beneficiation During State Visit to China
From 3 to 7 November 2026, Gabon’s President Brice Nguema undertook a five-day state visit to China. The visit coincided with the opening of the 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE) 2026, where President Nguema delivered a keynote address at the opening ceremony on 5 November 2026.
Prior to attending #CIIE2026, Nguema had a working session with the Shanghai municipal council leadership. While in Shanghai, he also met with the Gabonese students in China. He had the chance to tour Shanghai and visited the Pudong Exhibition Hall to take stock of the remarkable development of Shanghai and the latest Chinese technologies such as #AI and robotics.
While in Shanghai, Nguema witnessed the signing of several commercial agreements with Chinese firms. Huawei signed three MoU, covering public security technologies, digitalization of tertiary education, and the application of AI equipment at Brice Nguema University. PowerChina issued a letter of intent to develop the Ngoulmendjim Hydroelectric Power Project (#HPP), which is located near a manganese alloy processing plant.
On 6 November, Brice Nguema and his entourage arrived in Beijing, where Xi Jinping carried out the red-carpet welcome ceremony. Nguema also had a working session with Premier Li Qiang to reinforce bilateral cooperation.
China underscored its zero-tariff policy that extends to all African countries with diplomatic ties, while Gabon reiterated its adherence to the One-China Policy. The zero-tariff policy of China might give a boost to Gabon’s agricultural produce such as cocoa, coffee and palm oil. The bilateral trade volume reached nearly USD 4 billion in 2025. Gabon exports mostly crude oil, #manganese ore and timber to China, while China exports a lot os electronics, vehicles and machinery.
Due to its rich endowment in oil and #CriticalMinerals that China needs, Gabon enjoys a rare trade surplus of over USD 2.3 billion with China. However, President Brice Nguema is not satisfied with the trade structure. He outlined Gabon’s National Development Plan (#NDP) 2026-2030, which promotes local beneficiation. In the future, Gabon plans to export higher-value manganese alloys and finished wood panels.
One of the key cooperation areas would be around the Belinga Iron Ore Mine, which ranks as one of the most significant undeveloped mineral assets across the whole of Africa. The mine is a JV between Australian mining major Fortescue (72%) and the Africa Transformation and Industrialization Fund (28%).
Being situated in the remote province of Ogooue-Ivindo in northeastern Gabon, the Project requires substantial infrastructure development, including a 600-kilometer standard gauge railway and a deep-water port at Mayunba to accommodate large capesize bulk carriers. Other than the HPP project, China is eyeing the construction of the heavy-haul railway and supplying the rolling stock. Eventually, China is likely to be a major offtaker for the #Belinga Mine.
To summarize it neatly, China described the China-Gabon relationship as ‘a Community with a Shared Future for the New Era.’ It is an upgrade from the ‘Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership’ officially declared in 2023. Thus, the Belinga Project will prove to be a testing ground for the new policy promoting Local Value Addition (#LVA).