Timorese Ambassador to China Abrão dos Santos believes the economic development of China has benefited his people by creating opportunities for Sino-Timorese cooperation in the fields of infrastructure, farming, fishing and education, the People’s Daily says.

A report carried by the international edition of the Chinese Communist Party newspaper on Monday quotes Mr dos Santos as praising China for sending engineers and technicians to work on infrastructure projects in Timor-Leste such as the Tibar Bay Port, near Díli.

Mr dos Santos told the paper in an interview that Timorese students had been awarded scholarships to attend Chinese universities, and that he believed the foundation for more Sino-Timorese cooperation in education was strong.

Timor-Leste hopes to attract more investment by Chinese companies in its fishing and farming industries, for example in the production of organically grown coffee, the People’s Daily quotes the ambassador as saying.