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Moudouma says the Chinese would always find it more difficult in a country such as Gabon because of the strong ties the French retained in French Equatorial Africa, which also included the current Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Chad and Cameroon.

"After liberation Gabon moved to a position more of co-dependence or interdependence rather than full independence. The French have always been involved in what is happening in Gabon, whether it is to do with politics or the economy.

"With the British colonies, it is completely different. In East Africa, for example, with Kenya and Zambia, independence meant self-governance."

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The Chinese are far from the new kids on the block in Gabon, having worked on agricultural projects in the country since the 1970s.

Moudouma, an earnest figure with a serious manner despite his casual attire, believes former president Omar Bongo, who met Chairman Mao in 1974 and visited China no fewer than 10 times, was instrumental in forging close links with Beijing.

"China has first-hand experience of dealing with Gabon. It knows how to run businesses here and it has close knowledge of projects here. I think some of the recent concerns have been issues of transparency relating to overexploitation of the country's ecology such as with deforestation and over-fishing," he says.

The academic also does not believe the current president Ali Bongo Ondimba, who has been in office since 2009, is any less of a Sinophile than his father despite being educated at the Sorbonne.

"I think when it comes to the president, diplomatic relations between China and Gabon are friendly. If there is any kind of conflict it tends to be with government officials over regulations or issues relating to customs duties or other matters."

For Moudouma the raw fact remains that Gabon still needs Chinese investment. He points out that while the country might have a relatively high standard of living with a GNI per capita of $14,090, according to the World Bank in 2012, it came just 103rd out of 181 in the 2013 Human Development Index. "There can be no doubt that Gabon still needs China's money and China has made clear many times it is willing to give Gabon money," he says.

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