DILI, 14 may 2024 (TATOLI) – This year marks the 22nd anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Timor-Leste. Since then, China has supported the country’s development, mainly in the areas of infrastructure, health, education, and the economy, and in preparing Timor-Leste for membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The statement was revealed by the Chinese Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Wang Wenli, on the sidelines of a seminar to mark the 22nd anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which took place at the Chinese Embassy in Dili.
Wenli said that China and Timor-Leste have set an excellent example of countries of different sizes treating each other as equals, benefiting from mutual support and fruitful cooperation.
The ambassador added that since the establishment of bilateral relations, China has been sending medical brigades to Timor-Leste, and has so far accumulated more than a hundred Chinese doctors.
She emphasized that they work in partnership with their Timorese counterparts, providing medical services to more than 300,000 Timorese patients.
Wenli hopes that the two countries can work hard to strengthen bilateral cooperation in order to help safeguard regional stability, as well as accelerate their cooperation through the New Silk Road, China’s global investment and infrastructure megaproject.
The New Silk Road, an allusion to the ancient Asian silk route made up of retinues of camels transporting spices and exotic fabrics from the then-East to the West, is a gigantic energy pipeline route that does not cross Russian territory on a route endorsed by Turkey. It will be a mega-project, due to its length and capacity, and geo-economically very important for energy transport in the future. Timor-Leste could benefit from this transport network in the medium and long term if it can resume exporting petroleum products.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito Freitas, reiterated that the Timorese Government is committed to continuing to strengthen bilateral relations with China, contributing to regional and global stability and development.
‘We hope that our economy will be stimulated through cooperation between China and Timor-Leste within the scope of the New Silk Road, focusing on areas such as the revitalization of industry, the development of infrastructure, food self-sufficiency and the improvement of living conditions,’ he concluded.
Journalist: Jose Belarmino de Sa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
