Remarks of H.E. Dr. Xiao Jianguo,Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste at the Media Gathering

各位东帝汶的媒体朋友，

女士们、先生们：

　　下午好！

　　很高兴与大家共聚一堂，媒体界对社会产生重要影响，各位都是东媒体界重要级人物，能到使馆做客，我和使馆的同事们对此表示热烈欢迎。

　　这是我去年10月抵东履职后，首次同东媒体朋友正式集体见面。近年来，中国使馆不定期向东媒体发表文章、举办媒体见面会、邀请媒体出席使馆活动等，与大家保持着良好合作关系。我愿借此机会，对与中国使馆保持友好合作，积极客观报道中国的媒体朋友们表示衷心感谢。

Dear friends from Timor-Leste's media,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon!

It gives me great pleasure to meet with all of you. The media has an important influence on society. All of you are the important figures in the media of Timor-Leste. My colleagues and I warmly welcome you to attend this gathering.

It's the first time for me to meet media friends after I arrived in Timor-Leste last October. In recent years, the Chinese Embassy enjoys a sound cooperative relationship with the Timor-Leste's media, such as publishing articles contingently in the media, having get-togethers with the media and inviting the media to cover the Embassy's activities. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to the media for the good cooperation between us, and for the positive, objective coverage from your media about China.

　　中东传统友谊源远流长。中方长期支持东民族解放斗争，是最早支持东独立和同东建交的国家之一。东恢复独立后，中方高度重视对东关系，在和平共处五项原则基础上积极同东发展关系，向东提供了大量力所能及的援助。建交17年来，两国政治互信不断增强，各领域互利务实合作全面推进，中东关系保持良好发展势头。2014年，中东关系正式提升为睦邻友好、互信互利的全面合作伙伴关系。

As all you know, China and Timor-Leste enjoy a long-lasting traditional friendship. China has always been supporting the national liberation of Timor-Leste and is among the first to recognize its independence and to establish diplomatic ties with Timor-Leste. After Timor-Leste's restoration of independence, China has attached great importance to the relations with Timor-Leste, developing the relations on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and providing assistance and aid to the best of its ability. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 17 years ago, political mutual trust between China and Timor-Leste has been continuously enhanced, and practical cooperation of mutual benefit in various fields has been comprehensively advanced. China-Timor-Leste relations have maintained good momentum, which have been promoted into the Comprehensive Partnership of Good-neighbourly Friendship, Mutual Trust and Mutual Benefit since 2014.

　　中国和东帝汶都是发展中国家，均面临发展经济、改善民生的繁重任务。2013年秋季习近平主席提出“一带一路”倡议，这为中国同包括东帝汶在内的“一带一路”沿线国家加强合作提供重要契机。东是中国古代海上丝绸之路的重要一站，中东2017年签署了“一带一路”合作谅解备忘录，决定加强发展战略对接。中国连续多年成为东主要贸易伙伴之一，来东投资及从事工程承包的中国企业日益增多、涉足基建、农业、贸易等多个领域，成果丰硕。其中，“一网”、“一路”、“一港”项目引人注目，即东国家电网项目已进入运营维护阶段，东首条高速公路--苏艾高速公路一期项目已于2018年11月正式通车，蒂坝港项目正在建设。这三大项目均由中国企业承建。

Both China and Timor-Leste are developing countries, facing the arduous task of developing its national economy and improving the people's livelihood. In the Autumn of 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which provides an important opportunity for China to strengthen its cooperation with all the countries along the BRI, including Timor-Leste.

Historically, Timor-Leste is an important link on the Chinese Maritime Silk Road. The two countries signed a MOU on the BRI cooperation in 2017 to strengthen strategic synergy. China has become one of the Timor-Leste's major trading partners for many years. More and more Chinese companies invest and are engaged in activities in Timor-Leste, involved in various fields like infrastructure, agriculture commerce, etc. Among these projects, "one grid" "one road" and "one port" are eye-catching, that is, the State Electric Power Grid has entered the operation stage, Suai highway, the first expressway of Timor-Leste, was officially completed in November 2018, and the Tiba Port is now under construction. Those three mega projects are undertaken by Chinese companies.