A new cargo maritime route directly connecting Quanzhou, Fujian Province in southeastern China, to Dili, East Timor, was inaugurated on February 23.

The ship "ALWAYS BLESSING" departed from the Huajin terminal at Quanzhou Port, loaded with 1,357 tons of rebar, as well as trucks and engineering vehicles, bound for the port of Dili.

The new maritime route significantly reduces travel time, taking only seven days to complete the entire journey. This represents a saving of 15 days compared to the previous model, which involved transshipments, thus becoming the fastest maritime route for transporting goods between China and East Timor.

Since East Timor joined the Belt and Road Initiative in 2017, its bilateral relations with China in the areas of trade, culture, and education have grown closer. The opening of this direct maritime route will accelerate the transportation of goods between the two countries and thus strengthen trade ties.

(Source: XINHUA Portuguese, on February 25)