China and Gabon elevated their diplomatic ties during a state visit by the Central African nation's president to China, and are looking to deepen cooperation in the areas of mining and security, they said in a joint statement on Friday.

China and Gabon agreed to pursue closer high-level political, governmental, party, legislative and local exchanges, according to the statement released by China's state-run Xinhua news agency.

China and Gabon are willing to further deepen cooperation in the mining sector, and China said it would "support Gabon in turning its resource advantages into drivers of development".

The two nations are committed to strengthening cooperation in peace and security, pledging to expand exchanges between their armed forces and law enforcement and security agencies, the statement said.

The statement also called for deeper cooperation in trade, education and public health.

"China is willing to be a reliable friend and partner in Gabon's independent development," Chinese President Xi Jinping told his counterpart Brice Oligui Nguema during a meeting in Beijing on Friday, Chinese state media reported