NANNING – Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Bendito dos Santos Freitas, minister of foreign affairs and cooperation of Timor-Leste, on Thursday in Nanning, capital of China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, noted that China and Timor-Leste elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership last September in a historic leap forward in bilateral relations.
The two sides should carry forward their tradition of mutual trust and win-win cooperation, implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, and promote the continuous upgrading of their comprehensive strategic partnership, Wang said.
Noting that China will always be a member of the developing world, Wang said its development will provide support and opportunities for all developing countries, including Timor-Leste. China is ready to establish an agricultural cooperation working group with Timor-Leste, deepen sub-national exchanges, participate in infrastructure construction in Timor-Leste, expand personnel exchanges, and strengthen cooperation in such fields as culture, education, vocational training, tourism and sports.
Freitas said that bilateral relations between Timor-Leste and China have always developed on the basis of mutual trust and mutual benefits. Timor-Leste upholds the one-China principle firmly and is committed to strengthening friendly cooperation with China.
He added that Timor-Leste sincerely thanks the Chinese government and people for their selfless support of Timor-Leste’s efforts to achieve national independence, economic and social development, and to maintain national stability. Timor-Leste looks forward to working with China to enhance high-level exchanges and promote the implementation of more projects under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with the aim of achieving the greater development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.
Timor-Leste is East Timor’s official Portuguese name. The half-island nation of 1.3 million inhabitants is a member of the Macau-based Forum for Economic and Trade Co-Operation Between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries (Forum Macao), which will hold its sixth ministerial conference in Macau on April 21-23. – Xinhua, MPD
Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right), also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, shakes hands with Bendito dos Santos Freitas, minister of foreign affairs and cooperation of Timor-Leste, in Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on Thursday. – Xinhua
