Wang Yi Meets with Timor-Leste's Founding Father Xanana Gusmão

On June 4, 2022 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Timor-Leste's Founding Father Xanana Gusmão in Dili.

Xanana asked Wang Yi to convey his respect and greetings to President Xi Jinping, extended congratulations on the successful holding of the second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting and expressed appreciation for China's active commitment to cooperation with Pacific Island Countries (PICs). Xanana said that China is crucial to the development of PICs. Small and medium-sized countries, including Timor-Leste and other PICs, are all faced with the common task of development. What we need is a united response to the challenges, more attention and support from the international community and tangible assistance. The Chinese Foreign Minister's visit to the South Pacific region sent a positive signal, showing that China stands with developing countries and brings hope to small island countries. Small and medium-sized countries should not be forgotten, and are looking forward to deepening friendly cooperation with China. He hopes that the international community will pay more attention to the Group of Seven Plus (G7+) and expects that China will make greater contributions to the development and revitalization of small and medium-sized countries.

Wang Yi appreciated Xanana's outstanding contributions to the development of bilateral relations and his sense of justice for redressing historical injustices. He said, as a major developing country and responsible country, China has a diplomatic tradition of treating small and medium-sized countries as equals. It is our due obligation to uphold the interests of developing countries, and it is our international responsibility to help them accelerate development and revitalization. China has never sought a sphere of influence, nor is it interested in any geopolitical rivalry. Some countries presume others' behavior based on their own experience, misjudge or even smear China, but people of all countries see clearly that in the face of the fruits of cooperation, any false accusations have no audience. China has repeatedly stated its readiness to carry out more trilateral and multilateral cooperation and form international synergy to help small and medium-sized countries accelerate development and revitalization. No country should be forgotten and no region should be marginalized. China will continue to stand firmly on the side of developing countries.

Wang Yi appreciated Xanana's initiative to establish the G7+ and welcomed the active participation of the G7+ and its member countries in the Global Development Initiative and joint efforts towards the realization of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Xanana said, he fully agrees with a series of important initiatives put forward by President Xi Jinping, and looks forward to learning from China's successful experience and tapping the huge potential of bilateral cooperation to help Timor-Leste and other small and medium-sized countries achieve independent and diversified development.