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China has commented on the victory of Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, Gabon’s interim president, who won the first presidential election with 94.85 per cent of the vote.
Gabon’s National Election and Referendum Organisation and Coordination Committee declared Nguema the winner of the race, also contested by former Prime Minister Alain Claude Billie-by-Nze.
On Monday, China congratulated the African nation on “its smooth presidential election,” adding that President Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory message to Mr. Nguema.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun described China and Gabon as “traditional friends and comprehensive strategic cooperative partners.”
He said China attaches great importance to its relations with Gabon and stands ready to jointly work to deliver the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
Jiakun said both nations would deepen exchanges and cooperation, and add new substances to the China-Gabon comprehensive strategic partnership to deliver greater benefits to their peoples.
The Chinese government pledged $50 billion in financial support to Africa over the next three years during the FOCAC summit in 2024.
In other news, The Chinese government has warned that the “uncontrolled development” of artificial intelligence in the United States could lead to grave repercussions and prove catastrophic for the world.
Chinese Ambassador to Russia, Zhang Hanhu, accused American companies of prioritising monetary interests over user safety, citing cases in which teenagers had taken their own lives.
“There (in the United States), the development of artificial intelligence is largely determined by profit-driven interests,” Zhang told TASS News Agency.
The envoy stated that, in a bid to maintain global dominance, the U.S. authorities have allowed AI development and companies to operate unchecked, thereby risking “tragic consequences.”
Since 2024, according to Zhang, there have been “more cases of AI chatbots developed by US companies encouraging teenagers to commit suicide.”
