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Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Liu Jinsong Meets with Timor-Leste’s Ambassador to China Abrao Dos Santos

2022-09-14 23:50

On September 14, 2022, Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Liu Jinsong met with Timor-Leste’s Ambassador to China Abrao Dos Santos. The two sides exchanged views on China-Timor-Leste relations, and international and regional issues of mutual interest.

Liu Jinsong said that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Timor-Leste; during State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Timor-Leste this June, the two sides reached common understanding on a wide range of issues, further consolidating the traditional friendship between the two countries. Liu noted that recent time has seen the completion and delivery of the China-Timor-Leste Friendship Football Field, the orderly return of Timor-Leste’s students to China to resume studies, the signing of an agricultural cooperation agreement between Hunan Province and Manatuto Municipality, and continued deepening of exchanges between political parties, sister cities of the two countries, and in such fields as education and health. Moving forward, China will further increase development assistance to Timor-Leste in light of its development needs, and implement livelihood and capacity-building related cooperation projects that are small-yet-smart and quick to deliver results, in prioritized areas like agriculture, energy, infrastructure building, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges, so as to contribute to Timor-Leste's pursuit of independent development. China welcomes Timor-Leste's continued and active participation in the Forum Macao, looks forward to Timor-Leste's early accession to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and supports Timor-Leste in playing a greater role in regional and international affairs. Both China and Timor-Leste have a saying that "Unity is strength". China is ready to work closely with Timor-Leste to actively implement the follow-up actions to State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit, to promote in-depth and sustained development of the comprehensive cooperative partnership featuring good-neighborly friendship, mutual trust and mutual benefit.

Santos said that Timor-Leste and China enjoy a time-honored friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation. Personally involved in receiving State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his visit to Dili, he had first-hand experience of the pragmatic, efficient and fruitful visit. Timor-Leste understands and supports China's efforts to safeguard its core interests, and is grateful for China's enormous and long-standing assistance for Timor-Leste's struggle for national independence and development. As the Timor-Leste saying goes, "You can change friends but not neighbors". Timor-Leste is ready to carry forward the traditional friendship with China, and further deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields. Timor-Leste hopes that China will continue to provide support to Timor-Leste’s students in returning to China to continue their studies, expand import of coffee and other specialties from Timor-Leste, expand cooperation in vocational skills training and other fields, and further advance bilateral cooperation to bring more benefits to the two countries and peoples.

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