About 200 guests attended a gathering arranged by Chinese diplomats in Timor-Leste to celebrate 20 years since the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region, the Chinese Embassy in Dili says.

The embassy issued a written statement saying the guests for the Monday event included Timorese officials and politicians, and Chinese businesspeople working in Timor-Leste.

The statement quotes Chinese Ambassador to Timor-Leste Xiao Jianguo as telling the gathering how frequent high-level exchanges between Macao and Timor-Leste are driving the healthy state of Sino-Timorese relations.

It quotes Timorese Minister of Legislative Reform and Parliamentary Affairs Fidélis Manuel Leite Magalhães as saying Macao is an important bridge between China and the Portuguese-speaking world.

Timor-Leste will have more dealings with Macao to increase Sino-Timorese economic engagement and strengthen the Sino-Timorese friendship, the Chinese Embassy in Dili quotes the minister as saying.