"It is the Chinese who are helping us." Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta recently defended relations with China in an interview with Western media, questioning why the West would want his country to "take actions contrary to the entire international community" on the issue of China.

Horta Profile Picture Horta took office as the President of East Timor in 2022, marking his second term in the presidency. According to a report by AFP, despite concerns from the outside world that East Timor might drift away from its traditional Western allies in its quest for more investment, Horta pledged to be friends with all countries. Western partners are closely watching, worried that East Timor might fall into the so-called "debt trap" and be controlled by Beijing. Horta told AFP, "It is the Chinese who are helping us, not the other way around."

When asked about how to balance the struggle for democracy and a closer relationship with Beijing, Horta said that Western criticism is filled with hypocrisy. He stated that the entire international community recognized the government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legitimate government of China long before East Timor was born as an independent nation, "Why would the West want tiny East Timor to do the opposite?"

AFP reports that since declaring independence, East Timor, the youngest country in Asia, has made remarkable political progress in its short history. "What has been most successful? National healing, reconciliation, peace, and stability," Horta told AFP, "We have made tremendous progress." The report also mentions that East Timor faces new challenges in several areas, including a poverty rate exceeding 40%, critical energy reserves expected to be exhausted within a few years, and maintaining a balance between Western allies and China.

President Horta's state visit to China from the 30th to the 31st marks the first time a Timorese president has visited China on a state visit since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. During his visit, Horta, in an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post, emphasized that Timor-Leste will not be drawn into any Sino-American confrontation, will not take sides between major powers, and refuted concerns from outside about military cooperation between Timor-Leste and China.

Horta told the South China Morning Post, "Ironically, the countries with a military presence in East Timor are not China, but Australia, the United States, and Portugal, three Western nations." Horta stated that East Timor's cooperation with China prioritizes strategic areas such as health, education, and agriculture to address extreme poverty, malnutrition, and water and sanitation issues in East Timor. He said, "I don't care about the rivalry between great powers; I care about ordinary people. If China can help our people, then China is my hero."