DILI (TOP) – The diplomatic visit of the two foreign ministers from China and Australia in the last few weeks has made headlines in several media outlets both in the Pacific region and around the world, but media access heavily restricted and a lot of information is being fed through high-level statements and press conferences.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has made marathon diplomatic visits to countries in the Pacific Region to seek political support on maritime security in the region and also seek support for voting for Pacific islands at the United Nations. These countries, which are mostly small, have an equal voice in the United Nations.
Their support – on issues such as Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, the South and East China Seas, and human rights – is important to China.
Beijing's visit to the Pacific region made Canberra also not silent. Foreign Minister Penny Wong's hasty departure to the Pacific islands a mere days after the Labor government was sworn in was meant to send a message to the region that Australia has its back.
Penny Wong visited Fiji in her first week as Australian Foreign Minister.(AAP: George Fragopoulos).
The Asia Pacific region is the center of gravity of global security which is the most strategic region in the world. International security in general is largely determined by how the dynamics and security interactions in the region are. This area is also the most dynamic area of economic growth. This strategic position makes Asia Pacific an important center of activity in the global political arena. This strategic position will certainly result in a constellation of conflicts and cooperation that will not only involve countries in the region but also involve superpower states outside the region. The active role of the United States (US) in this region has led to various speculations about the stability and security of this region.
After the Cold War, US security policy focused a lot on the Middle East region, the US seemed to have 'forgotten' the Asia Pacific region. The emergence of China with its economic and military power in the last few decades has now re-awakened the US to the meaning of geopolitics and geostrategy in Asia Pacific. The security rivalry between the US and China will be the most important regional issue in the next few years.
Upon arrival in Timor-Leste, Yi claims that Beijing’s intensions in the region are based on “mutual respect and mutual benefit”.
What is Timor-Leste's position on Yi's visit?
After independence on 20 May 2002, the leaders in Timor-Leste have decided that Timor-Leste is included in the Non-Aligned Movement.
Earlier, in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, the 72-year-old former independence activist made no apologies for fostering stronger ties with China, which has tagged Timor-Leste as “an important Belt and Road partner country”.
Although the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has released data that about 105.7 million dollars is budgeted for 2022-23, comments from Timor-Leste that the budget is not enough of what Australia and Indonesia have taken from oil and gas in the Timor Gap since Timor-Leste was still under Indonesian occupation.
President Horta also asked Australia to do more to Timor-Leste if they considered this small country to be a good neighboor to Australia.
What was discussed between Horta and Yi?
According to President Horta, what they have discussed is not about maritime security in the Pacific region.
“Only issues that I discussed with the foreign minister of China was our bilateral cooperation which have been going on for 20 years. I am very appreciated in China's support in many areas," Horta said through a press conference at the presidential palace.
President Ramos-Horta. Credit: Raimundos Oki.
Horta personally like to see expansion of relationship with China but as president he wants basically advocating the programs . . . the request from Timor-Leste’s government.
"We didn’t discuss any issue about maritime security, security in the pacific region but the Chinese is absolutely normal and the … they even find it amusing in this reaction from other country. Our government had signed four specific four agreements with Chinese government but nothing related to security issue,” he said.
According to Horta, Timor-Leste is in Asia and he also want to see China increase its support to Timor-Leste’s agriculture, health economic and education.
