The Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, meets with the Minister of State Administration of Timor-Leste, Mr Tomás do Rosário Cabral, at the Government Headquarters in Macao.
At a ceremony to mark the establishment of sister-city ties between the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) and Timor-Leste’s capital city, Dili, the Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, noted the two sides were each vital nodes on the Maritime Silk Road. Mr Ho added that both sides could seize the development opportunities of the “Belt and Road” initiative, in order to deepen mutually-beneficial cooperation and work together to create a better future.
Mr Ho and the Minister of State Administration of Timor-Leste, Mr Tomás do Rosário Cabral, signed a memorandum of understanding on establishing sister-city ties between the MSAR of the People's Republic of China and Dili City of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. The ceremony was held on Thursday (26 September) at the Government Headquarters in Macao.
Guests attending the ceremony included: the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the MSAR, Mr Liu Xianfa; the Secretary for Administration and Justice of the MSAR Government, Mr Cheong Weng Chon; and the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the MSAR Government, Ms Ao Ieong U. Also present were: the Director of the Policy Research and Regional Development Bureau of the MSAR, Mr Cheong Chok Man; and the Director General of the Policy Research Department of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the MSAR, Ms Ma Naifang. The ceremony was also attended by: the Director General of Local Administration and Modernisation of Timor-Leste, Ms Maria Goretti Marques Belo; the Director General of Decentralisation and Local Government of Timor-Leste, Mr António Augusto Guterres; the Mayor of Dili, Mr Gregório da Cunha Saldanha; the Chief of Staff of the Council of Ministers, Mr Benigno Humberto G. da Cruz; and Advisor on External Cooperation Affairs, Mr Abílio José Caetano.
During the signing ceremony, the Chief Executive stated that in the 22 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Timor-Leste, the two countries had seen steady development in their ties. The fruitful results of practical cooperation between the two nations had set an example for mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and common development.
At the end of July this year, the President of Timor-Leste, Mr José Ramos-Horta, made his first state visit to China. The two sides had signed a cooperation plan for jointly advancing the “Belt and Road” initiative; and issued a joint statement on deepening the two countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership.
Mr Ho said the signing of the memorandum of understanding in Macao was a concrete step towards implementing the commitment made in the joint statement between China and Timor-Leste. The joint statement mentioned an aim to “encourage the establishment of sister-city ties between MSAR and Dili, and continue to enhance sister-city cooperation and people-to-people exchanges to forge closer bonds between the two peoples ”. Such commitment aimed to elevate the two countries’ relationship to a new level.
Macao and Timor-Leste have enjoyed a history of long and friendly relations, with frequent exchanges in various fields concerning matters such as the economy, trade, education, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. Macao and Timor-Leste have maintained close ties, with Timor-Leste’s economic and trade institutions participating in Macao’s signature events and exhibitions. In 2019, medical experts from Macao travelled to Timor-Leste to initiate medical cooperation projects. In April 2024, the Monetary Authority of Macao and the Central Bank of Timor-Leste signed an updated cooperation agreement to further solidify their existing partnership.
Signing the memorandum of understanding on establishing sister-city relations further strengthened the friendly ties between Macao and Dili, said Mr Ho. Both sides should take this agreement as an opportunity to continue expanding cooperation in areas such as the economy, trade, tourism, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.
Mr Ho said Macao would give better play to its role as a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries, utilising existing mechanisms – such as the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao), known as Forum Macao – to enhance ties with Timor-Leste.
The Chief Executive said Timor-Leste was welcome to participate – via the Forum Macao mechanism – in the development of Macao and the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, thereby expanding Timor-Leste’s cooperation with the overall Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Delivering a speech at the signing ceremony, Minister Cabral said the establishment of sister-city ties between Macao and Dili was anticipated to foster a long-lasting, mature, and stable partnership, founded on mutual interests. He hoped that the partnership between the two cities – including their respective businesses and communities – would bring numerous benefits to all stakeholders.
The Minister stated that the establishment of the partnership symbolised the singing of a true song of peace, making a valuable contribution to upholding the Asian values, particularly in safeguarding historical and cultural values from the past, the present, and those still to be formed. He said that amidst ongoing conflicts in other parts of the world, as well as uncertainties and hostilities between different peoples or communities within individual countries – driven by power struggles for personal or group interests – the partnership between Macao and Dili highlighted that cities from two countries could stand to benefit when unity was prioritised, and neither side alienated the other.
Minister Cabral further pointed out that despite the significant geographical distance between the two cities, the establishment of a friendly relationship stemmed from the similar characteristics and commonalities that Macao and Dili shared in terms of history and culture. Both sides were committed to fostering friendly, supportive, and mutually beneficial relationships, particularly by establishing mechanisms for cooperation in the realms of economy and culture. Looking towards the future, the focus would be on young people. Against this backdrop, both cities should devote greater effort to expanding cooperation partnerships in education, culture, and youth affairs, relying on sustained enthusiasm and increasing determination. It was imperative to involve young people to ensure the continued development of such partnership, bringing benefits and fruitful outcomes to both cities.
Before the signing ceremony, the Chief Executive had a separate meeting with Minister Cabral and his delegation, to exchange views on issues related to matters concerning the economy, trade, tourism, education, and culture. The meeting was attended by Commissioner Liu Xianfa; Secretary Cheong Weng Chon; Secretary Ao Ieong U; Director Cheong Chok Man; and Director General Ma Naifang.
