by Xie Meihua

    LIBREVILLE, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- The bilateral ties between China and Gabon are sound and solid, the Chinese ambassador to Gabon said here on Friday.

    In a interview with Xinhua, Ambassador Li Fushun said that China and Gabon have enjoyed long-term friendly ties which have a solid foundation.

    The friendly ties between the two countries are keeping moving forward smoothly and they are not affected by the ongoing economic globalization and the multi-polarism, Li said.

    Late Gabonese President Omar Bongo Ondimba visited China for many, many times and most of the Gabonese ministers have also been to China and they all spoke highly of China's fast-growing economy, Li said.

    China and Gabon are all-weather friends and the development of the ties between the two sides are in the interest of the two countries and also in the interest of their peoples, the ambassador said.

    China has been engaged in many aid projects in Gabon and there are more than 30 state-owned companies operating in the country, mainly focusing on the fields of oil, mine, timber and infrastructure, which have benefited the local communities substantially by creating many jobs, she said.

    The exchange programs between the two countries have been boosted in the past years and more and more scholars, students and even military personnel from Gabon are going to China for further study and training which has contributed greatly to the deepening of ties between the two countries and the better understand between the two peoples, Li said.

    Further, China has in the past years kept sending medical teams to Gabon which has significantly improve the health condition in the country, she continued.

    The ambassador said she is quite surprised that the Chinese language is so popular in Gabon.

    "Whenever I take a walk on the street, the ordinary Gabonese will say 'ni hao" to me."

    "I have many Gabonese friends, including government officials and they all show great interest in learning the Chinese language," she said.

    "If you watch TV, you may find that there are more and more reports about China in Gabon's TV programs."

    All these have demonstrated that China is a friend Gabon can trust and China is a truly partner of Gabon, the ambassador said.

    She said Gabon will hold presidential election on coming Sunday and no matter who will be the winner, the friendly and cooperative ties between China and Gabon will continue to move forward due to the sound and solid foundation.

    She expressed her hope that Gabon will have a peaceful power transfer which is also a wish of the Gabonese.