Mao Weiming, deputy secretary of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and governor of Hunan Province, led a delegation to visit the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste between September 8 and 10, 2023. The delegation embarked on the visit with sincerity and returned with strengthened bonds of friendship between Hunan Province and Timor-Leste. They met with Timor-Leste's political leaders, witnessed the implementation of projects, and visited Hunan entrepreneurs in Timor-Leste. This was a concrete initiative to further implement Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, to consolidate traditional friendship, to explore further cooperation potential, and to make positive contributions to China's overall diplomatic landscape.   

Bai Lianyang, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Qu Hai, secretary general of the Hunan Provincial People’s Government; and staff-members of the Chinese Embassy in Timor-Leste also attended.

Timor-Leste is located at the intersection of Asia and Oceania and at the convergence of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, making it an important node along the route of Belt and Road Initiative. It covers an area of 15,000 square kilometers and has a population of 1.32 million. Timor-Leste declared its independence in 2002, becoming one of the youngest countries in the world.

On September 10, Governor Mao met with Xanana Gusmao, prime minister of Timor-Leste in Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste. Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, vice prime minister of Timor-Leste and Marcos da Cruz, minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Forestry of Timor-Leste also participated.

On September 10, Governor Mao met with Bendito dos Santos Freitas, minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste. 

On September 8, Governor Mao and Dulce de Jesus Soares (1st, R), minister of Education of Timor-Leste, witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the China South Publishing & Media Group (CNS) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) of Timor-Leste, and CNS donated books to the MOE of Timor-Leste.

On September 9, Governor Mao and Administrador Munisípiu Manatuto Bernardo Lopes (4th, R) visited the Manatuto (Hunan) Agricultural Industrial Park.

On September 9, Mao Weiming, governor of Hunan Province; Tomás do Rosário Cabral, minister of State Administration; and, Administrador Munisípiu Manatuto Bernardo Lopes (5th, R) attended the unveiling ceremony of the International Coop & Demo Base for Agriculture Between Hunan and Manatuto.

On September 9, Governor Mao had a discussion with representatives of the Hunan Chamber of Commerce in Timor-Leste.

On September 9, Governor Mao and his delegation visited a Chinese naval hospital ship "Peace Ark", which was providing medical services in Timor-Leste.

The photos were taken by Sun Minjian and Shen Xiangjin

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Xiao Juan

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn