China, Timor-Leste to enhance ties and expand BRI cooperation

Chinese Premier Li Qiang and President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Jose Ramos-Horta discussed enhancing ties and boosting practical cooperation, especially collaborations under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), when they met in Beijing on Sunday. 

Li noted that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 22 years ago, China and Timor-Leste have consistently understood and supported each other, deepening political mutual trust and achieving fruitful results in practical cooperation.

China is ready to work with Timor-Leste to further their traditional friendship, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation and achieve more outcomes to better benefit the two peoples, the Chinese premier added.

Highlighting China's steadfast support for Timor-Leste in pursuing a development path suited to its own national conditions and safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and development interests, Li emphasized the importance of aligning their development strategies. He stressed the need to deepen practical cooperation and inject more impetus into their respective modernization drives.

China is ready to enhance cooperation with Timor-Leste in infrastructure and connectivity under the framework of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, expand mutually beneficial cooperation to a wider range of fields, and help Timor-Leste improve its independent development capabilities, he said.

China is willing to import more quality products from Timor-Leste and encourage more Chinese enterprises to invest in Timor-Leste, Li added. He said China is ready to deepen communication and coordination with Timor-Leste in multilateral areas, strengthen exchanges and cooperation on climate policy, support Timor-Leste's early accession to ASEAN, and jointly contribute to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.

Noting that China was the first country to establish diplomatic relations with Timor-Leste, Ramos-Horta thanked China for its long-term support for his country.

He said Timor-Leste highly appreciates China's important role in international and regional affairs, firmly adheres to the one-China principle, supports and actively participates in the BRI, welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest in Timor-Leste, and hopes to deepen cooperation with China in various fields.

(With input from Xinhua)