Reuters-Exclusive Timor president says China military cooperation never discussed
September 29, 2023 4 min 707 words
这则报道揭示了东帝汶总统何塞·拉莫斯-奥尔塔关于与中国的军事合作问题的立场。他明确表示，东帝汶在升级外交关系的过程中从未讨论过与中国的军事合作。这一表态对于澳大利亚和印度尼西亚来说是一个安全的消息，因为东帝汶不会成为邻国的安全担忧。报道还提到中国与东帝汶签署了一项全面战略框架协议，涵盖了农业和基础设施方面的发展合作，同时也包括了来自中国的政府和商业贷款的可能性。然而，总统强调，他们不会接受不可管理、不可持续、利息过高的贷款。 此报道背后的核心信息是，澳大利亚政治家对中国与东帝汶之间的协议表示担忧，尤其是关于军事交流的部分。总统明确表示，军事合作从未讨论过，并且中国方面也未提出过这个问题。东帝汶的目标是在2025年加入东南亚地区组织（ASEAN），因此他们不会采取任何可能被其他ASEAN国家视为危及中立或和平与安全政策的行动。 另外，报道还提到东帝汶与澳大利亚之间的广泛安全合作，以及中国在基础设施、财政、农业和健康领域提供的支持。总统还强调了东帝汶面临的粮食安全问题，他希望吸引投资用于灌溉和道路建设，并为农民提供财政激励，以确保粮食供应。 总之，这篇报道表明东帝汶总统强调了国家的外交政策，特别是与中国的关系，以及与澳大利亚之间的合作，同时也关注了国内的发展和粮食安全问题。总统的表态有望缓解澳大利亚对中国与东帝汶关系可能对地区安全带来的担忧。
East Timor has not discussed military cooperation with China in its upgrade of diplomatic ties, President Jose Ramos-Horta said, adding Australia and Indonesia can "sleep at peace" because the island nation won't be a security concern to its neighbours.
China's increasing assertiveness in efforts to form security ties with developing countries in close proximity to Australia have raised alarm bells in Canberra, and a recent shakeup of Australia's defence has refocused on protecting its northern approaches.
A Comprehensive Strategic Framework signed by East Timor during a meeting between Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao and China's President Xi Jinping in China last week covered development cooperation in agriculture and infrastructure, the Nobel laureate said in a telephone interview with Reuters.
The agreement also provided scope for funding from China including government and commercial loans to East Timor, he said.
"Right now we don't have a single loan from China," he said. "In the future we might request a loan from China ... We will not accept any unmanageable, unsustainable loan with too high interest payment."
Some Australian politicians expressed concern after China's state media reported on Saturday that Beijing's agreement with East Timor, around 700km (450 miles) north-west of Australia, also covered military exchanges.
China struck a security pact with Solomon Islands, 2,000km (1,200 miles) to Australia's north-east last year, heightening Canberra's wariness about Beijing's naval ambitions.
"It was never discussed in terms of military cooperation, never discussed, and the Chinese side also never raised this issue," Ramos-Horta said.
East Timor, also known as Timor Leste, aims to join the Southeast Asian regional bloc ASEAN by 2025 as it seeks to reduce high poverty rates.
"We would never bring in a foreign element into Timor Leste that would be viewed by the rest of ASEAN as endangering ASEAN policy of neutrality or peace and security," he said.
"Indonesia and Australia, we can include Singapore and Malaysia they are the countries that are closest to us, can always sleep at peace - Timor Leste is not going to be a nuisance, a concern in terms of security."
Timor has extensive security cooperation with Australia, which is also its top aid donor, with Canberra providing military and police advisers and patrol boats, he said. "This is so far only with Australia," he said.
China's support was primarily in infrastructure including government buildings, finance, agriculture and health, he said.
A large delegation of Chinese companies arrived in East Timor's capital Dili on Thursday to continue discussions on potential investment in oil and gas projects, he said.
The main focus for East Timor is finalising a joint venture agreement with Australian company Woodside Energy (WDS.AX) for the joint development of the Greater Sunrise gas project, he said.
East Timor is looking to start producing natural gas from its Greater Sunrise fields around 2030, which will be critical to the Southeast Asia island nation's economy.
Australia has appointed an envoy to speed up negotiations between East Timor and Woodside; Gusmao's government wants gas to be piped to East Timor and not Australia.
Ramos-Horta said food security was a major issue for East Timor, and it needed investment in irrigation and roads, and to provide financial incentives to farmers to "feed its people".
Australia, as one of the world's most developed agriculture nations, should commit funds to the UN's International Fund for Agricultural Development, to address the agriculture challenges being posed by climate change to small farmers globally, he said.
At the Global Citizen Festival in New York last week, Ramos-Horta also supported calls for a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty, backed by six Pacific Islands countries, that puts pressure on Australia as a major coal exporter.
Australia's relationship with East Timor is "stronger than at any time in the last decade", Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
"Australia is proud to be Timor-Leste's largest development and security partner," a spokesman said.