LIBREVILLE - Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba met here Saturday with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, and they pledged closer cooperation in trade, economy and infrastructure.

Gabon highly values its traditional friendship with China which has long offered firm support to Africa, the Gabonese president said.

Gabon believes China's development will bring major opportunities to Gabon and there are great potential for trade and economic cooperation between the two sides, he said.

The president also expressed the hope that Gabon could strengthen cooperation with China in such fields as infrastructure construction and power grid upgrade, and more Chinese enterprises could make investment and start businesses in Gabon.

Yang, for his part, spoke highly of the development of Gabon-China relations, citing frequent high-level exchanges, increasing bilateral trade values and enhanced cultural exchanges.

He urged the two countries to keep the current momentum of high-level contact, strengthen political mutual trust, and enhance mutual support on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns.

The two sides should also intensify cooperation in trade, economy, infrastructure construction, education, culture and health, and strengthen coordination in major regional and global affairs, said Yang, who arrived here Saturday for an official visit to Gabon.

Yang also met with his Gabonese counterpart Paul Toungui on Saturday. They pledged to bring the new type of strategic partnership between China and Africa to a higher level.