Fujian Province in east China opened its first direct shipping route to Timor-Leste on Sunday, with the voyage taking only seven days, saving 15 days compared with the previous transshipment mode.
The move is expected to give a boost to trade between the world's second largest economy and the Southeast Asian country.
A cargo ship loaded with 1,357 tons of screw-thread steel bars, trucks and engineering vehicles left the Huajin Terminal of Quanzhou Port for Dili Port in Timor-Leste, marking the official launch of the fastest sea lane linking China with Timor-Leste.
According to Xiamen Customs which administers Quanzhou Customs, Quanzhou City's exports to the Belt and Road Initiative partner countries came in at 124.36 billion yuan (about 17 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024, up 5 percent year on year and accounting for 62.6 percent of its total foreign trade.
As of February 23, Quanzhou Port has opened 36 shipping routes for Belt and Road cooperation.
The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China in 2013, aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe, Africa and beyond.
So far, more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations have signed Belt and Road cooperation agreements, with the initiative extending from the Eurasian continent to Africa and Latin America.
China's Fujian opens first direct shipping route to Timor-Leste
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Wednesday in Beijing with Nauruan Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Lionel Aingimea, who came to China for the opening ceremony of the Nauru Embassy in China.
Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, noted that since the resumption of diplomatic relations between China and Nauru, both sides have fostered mutual understanding and support, while the pragmatic cooperation has developed comprehensively, bringing tangible benefits to the people of Nauru.
China appreciates Nauru's firm adherence to the one-China policy and believes that Nauru will continue to support China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, thus consolidating the political foundation of bilateral relations, Wang said.
China is willing to deepen cooperation with Nauru in various fields including agriculture and fisheries, sports, marine development, climate change response, and capacity building, Wang said, adding that China congratulates Nauru on the upcoming official opening of its embassy in China and is willing to provide conveniences and assistance for the embassy's operation.
Aingimea, for his part, said that Nauru sincerely thanks China for the valuable assistance provided in infrastructure construction and socio-economic development, which helps improve people's livelihood and sustainable development of Nauru.
Nauru will not waver in its stance of adhering to the one-China principle and looks forward to expanding bilateral cooperation in various fields and pushing bilateral relations to a new level, Aingimea added.
Chinese FM meets Nauruan counterpart
