Wong cautions East Timor on Beijing debt trap

Emma ConnorsSenior editor and writer

Updated Sep 1, 2022 – 1.12pm, first published at 1.11pm

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Singapore | Foreign Minister Penny Wong looked set on Thursday to leave East Timor without a breakthrough on the stalled Greater Sunrise gas project, but not without warning President Jose Ramos-Horta of China’s model of infrastructure finance.

East Timor was free to partner with any country it chose, Senator Wong told a press conference in Dili. But, in an apparent reference to countries such as Laos that are heavily indebted to China through the Belt and Road program, she said not all potential partners would have the same focus.

Emma Connors was South-east Asia correspondent from October 2019 until mid-2023, based in Jakarta and Singapore. She has previously edited Perspective and Opinion and has written extensively across the AFR and related titles.