On April 20, 1974, China and Gabon formally established diplomatic relations, and today marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Gabon. Over the past 50 years, the traditional friendship between China and Gabon has endured with the issuance of the Joint Statement of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Gabon on the Establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership in April 2023, which has continued to deepen the friendship between the two countries and become a model for a new type of international relations.
China Construction Eighth Bureau actively integrates into the economic and social development of Gabon and builds high-quality projects, which shows the speed and quality of China's construction, and also "builds" the profound heritage of China-Canada friendship.
Libreville Comprehensive School Project, Gabon
Sowing hope for education at the equator
The Atlantic breeze is blowing on the west coast of Africa, and the sound of reading aloud can be heard in schools just north of the equator. Alibandeng Comprehensive School and Cap Estérias Secondary School, a comprehensive school built by the Gabonese government to promote the country's education level and provide national quality education, were completed in December 2021 by China Construction Eighth Bureau. Both schools are located not far from the north side of the equator (latitude 0°), with a total construction area of 17,000 square meters, and the construction period is only 10 months.
Alain, a local employee of the Libreville Comprehensive School project in Gabon, said "I'm very proud!" when he talked about his involvement in the project: "When the children in my neighborhood heard that I was working on the project, they chased me and asked when they would be able to go to the new school. They came to see the new school, hoping to get to the football pitch early and go to the new classroom," says Alain. As a local livelihood project, the school has played an important role in improving the educational conditions in the Gabonese capital region, and more than 5,000 people have been educated every year since its completion.
Gabon Port-Jean-Til Stadium Project
One of the main venues of the 31st Africa Cup of Nations
In 2017, with the sound of the whistle, the 31st Africa Cup of Nations, the highest national team competition on the African continent, officially kicked off, with players from 16 African countries and more than 20,000 spectators gathered here, igniting the passion on the west coast of Africa. This is the Gabon Port Gentil Stadium, one of the main venues of the 31st Africa Cup of Nations, known as "a sports pearl on the east coast of the Atlantic".
The 20,000-seat stadium has a complex structure, a large amount of materials and equipment, and a large amount of local rainfall and a long rainy period, which makes it more difficult for on-site construction. The project team overcame difficulties and completed the project in only one and a half years, which not only met the design requirements of FIFA 2011, but also met the needs of competition players, VIPs, referees, media, emergency response, hotel accommodation, etc., and successfully held the 31st Africa Cup of Nations Football Tournament, which won the China Construction Engineering Luban Award (Overseas Project). In December 2016, the former president of Gabon visited the main arena of the completed stadium and said: "The stadium was built faster than expected, and it was even more beautiful, completely beyond my imagination." ”
Today, as a landmark project in Gabon, the Port of Til Stadium stands on the west coast of Africa, shining like a golden jewel and building the dream of African sports.
Libreville Handball Stadium Project, Gabon
The main venue for the African Continental Handball Competition
In some countries and regions in Africa, handball is one of the most popular ball games after football. The project is located in Libreville, the capital of Gabon, and is a comprehensive sports complex built by Gabon to host the 2018 intercontinental handball competition, with a total construction area of 12,800 square meters, which can meet the requirements of handball, basketball, boxing, taekwondo and other competitions. The project is designed with the concept of "Sporting Boat", the overall outer outline of the building is in the shape of a hull, and the roof adopts the inverted "V" shape of a single ridge and double slope.
The construction period of a stadium is usually one and a half to two years, but it only took us eight months to complete the completion and acceptance in January 2018, which demonstrates China's speed and quality. In an interview with CCTV, the former vice president of Gabon praised the high efficiency and high quality of the project, saying: "I would like to take this opportunity to praise the friendship between Gabon and China, and congratulate the Chinese company that built this beautiful stadium, and I also hope that this company can help us build more similar projects to promote the development of youth sports in the mainland." ”
Standing at a new historical starting point, China Construction Eighth Engineering Bureau will uphold ingenuity, build more high-quality projects, jointly welcome the bright future of China-Canada friendship and cooperation, and contribute to the construction of the "Belt and Road".
Source: China Construction Bayi Rong Media Center