The meeting took place at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing as part of Ramos Horta’s state visit, which will end on July 31.

Xi highlighted Ramos Horta’s efforts to strengthen bilateral ties.

He described his counterpart as an old and good friend of the Chinese people, who personally signed the establishment of diplomatic relations and was the first to propose the development of a comprehensive strategic partnership with Beijing.

“He has been a pioneer, builder, and advocate for the friendly cause between China and Timor-Leste, and I am ready to work with President Ramos Horta to draw new plans and outline new visions to develop bilateral relations,” he added.

Ramos Horta, in turn, praised the changes China has undergone in the last few years.

“China has made significant contributions to maintain multilateralism and world peace,” he stressed, and added that it is a great nation capable of contributing to humanity’s welfare.

This is the first state visit by a Timorese president to China since both nations established diplomatic relations in 2002.

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