Chinese Ambassador to Timor Leste Xiao Jianguo says his government has donated to Timor Leste nine separate batches of medical supplies since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

A written statement issued by the Chinese Embassy in Dili quotes Mr Xiao as saying in his New Year message that China was the first country to offer Timor Leste help in countering the pandemic, and has given Timor Leste more facemasks than any other country.

Mr Xiao says the pandemic has made Sino-Timorese relations and the friendships between ordinary Chinese and Timorese even closer.

Now the Timorese government budget for this year has been passed, Mr Xiao expects Timor Leste to remain politically stable and its economy to keep recovering, and foresees great potential for Sino-Timorese cooperation, the Chinese Embassy in Dili says.