Dili rejects China security deal, Anthony Albanese vows to ‘engage’ Pacific region

East Timor President says Dili won’t sign a security pact with Beijing, despite the two countries signing a series of deals.

East Timor's President Jose Ramos-Horta reads his oath during his inauguration ceremony in Dili, on May 20, 2022. Picture: AFP.

East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta has said Dili would not sign a security pact with Beijing, despite the two countries signing a series of deals on Friday.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his East Timor counterpart Adaljiza Magno signed a number of agreements in Dili on Mr Wang’s final stop of a 10-day diplomatic blitz of the South Pacific on Friday.

The pair penned agreements on agriculture, media partnerships and economic and technical co-operation as well as a deal on the dispatch of a Chinese medical team to East Timor.

However Mr Ramos-Horta told Sky News he would not sign a security deal with Beijing.

“Absolutely not, why would we?” he said. “We don’t feel threatened by anyone, we have the best possible relationship with the United States, with Indonesia, with Australia and New Zealand and Singapore.

“Our immediate interests, our strategic interests, are within our immediate regions.”

As the agreements were signed, Anthony Albanese vowed to “engage” with East Timor and admitted that Australia had to work to “rebuild relations” in the Pacific.

The Prime Minister, who flies to Indonesia today with Foreign Minister Penny Wong, told reporters on Saturday: “It will take time to rebuild relations, but what we know is that there is strategic competition in the region and that requires Australia to step up,” he told reporters in Adelaide.

“We will engage with Timor-Leste, and we will engage with all of the countries within our region.”

Mr Wang last week failed to get support for a sweeping security and trade agreement at a meeting of Pacific Island leaders in Fiji, a setback on a trip Beijing has billed as “unusual and historic”.

Mr Wang said the region should not be “too nervous” about China’s intentions in the region after the snub from Pacific Island leaders.

“Don’t be too anxious and don’t be too nervous,” Mr Wang said in brief remarks in Suva. “The common development and prosperity of China and all the other developing countries would only mean great harmony, greater justice and greater progress of the whole world.”

Instead of signing on to Beijing’s agreement, Pacific Island leaders called on China to address climate change. “Being a true partner and friend to the Pacific requires urgent and deep climate change action,” said Henry Puna, Secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum, on behalf of members.

With AFP