Your Excellency Mr. Bonifacio, Vice-Minister of Health,

Your Excellency Mr. Lino, Vice-Minister of State Administration,

Mr. Camoes, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation,

Ladies and gentlemen, friends:

    Good afternoon!

Today, we are here to hold the ceremony of donating the twelfth batch of medical supplies to the Timor-Leste government, including 4000 China-made Covid-19 nucleic acid testing kits, 5184 nucleic acid extraction kits, 1000 forehead thermometers and 1000 protective gowns, the forehead thermometers and protective gowns are provided by Mainline Flight Service Company. First I would like to express my thanks to Vice-Minister Bonifacio and Secretary-General Camoes to grace the ceremony. I also want to thank all relevant departments of Timor-Leste and of China for their coordinated efforts for the success of this chartered flight.

Recently, while the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Timor-Leste has tightened, and Timor-Leste is suddenly hit by severe flood that has not been seen for nealy half century. The "national emergency" of Covid-19 and the "national calamity" of the flooding have been superimposed on each other. The Chinese government and people follow closely to the recent flood disaster, and quickly gave a helping hand. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi sent a message of solidarity to the Timor-Leste government, expressing condolences to the victims and sympathy to their families. The Chinese government, through the World Food Program's country strategic plan, is providing the Timor-Leste with US$100,000 for the transport and logistics support in the disaster relief, and the Red Cross Society of China is also providing US$100,000 for humanitarian emergency assistance in cash. The Chinese Embassy made an appeal to all Chinese in Timor-Leste, the overseas Chinese,  Chinese enterprises and companies in Timor-Leste, actively donated money and food, nonfood items for the displaced people. We are also happy to see that the cooking trucks (moving kitchens) donated by China are now playing an important role in the disaster relief, the displaced people in evacuation centers can be treated with hot meals. In short, China's timely, comprehensive assistance demonstrates the China-Timor-Leste true friendship in times of difficulty. Today, China's donation of medical supplies to Timor-Leste is of typical significance, since the donation not only shows the continuous help we promise to give Timor-Leste in the fight of Covid-19, but also shows our prompt response to the disaster relief request by Timor-Leste. I hope it will help Timor-Leste improve its Covid-19 prevention capabilities, curb the possible spread of the epidemic after the flood, and ease the pressure in the disaster situation.

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 last year, China and Timor-Leste have always supported each other. China was the first country to respond to Timor-Leste's request and the first country to send chartered flights to assist medical supplies last year. We have donated 11 batches of medical supplies to Timor-Leste, including face masks, protective cover-alls, gloves, ventilators, thermometers, cleaners, disinfection lamps, testing reagents and others. Since March of this year, there has been local transmission of Covid-19 in Timor-Leste, the number of cases has risen sharply and the assistance continues to be needed. In particular, H.E. Mr. Ruak, Prime Minister of Timor-Leste told the media on April 7th that he would like to introduce Chinese vaccines. We have noticed the tightened situation of the Covid-19 in Timor-Leste and the request from Timor-Leste. Our commitment to help Timor-Leste against Covid-19 is genuine and solid. For example, based on the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, China fulfills its commitment to make vaccines a global public product. China is providing vaccine assistance to 80 countries and exporting vaccines to more than 40 countries. China also actively participates in the WHO's COVAX scheme. China is willing to continue to expand cooperation in the fight against Covid-19 with the Timor-Leste and provide necessary assistance within its capacity while overcoming its own stretched supply.

Under the double stress caused by Covid-19 and flood, the economic recovery of Timor-Leste will have a long way to go, and China is willing to continue to provide necessary support, help the resumption of major infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges in Timor-Leste and promote high-quality cooperation in the construction of the 'Belt and Road Initiative'. Among more than one hundred passengers who arrived in Timor-Leste with this chartered flight, there are workers and engineers of Chinese companies undertaking some projects such as Tibar Port and State Power Grid. There are also some Chinese businessmen who had private investments and businesses in Timor-Leste. All of them have been vaccinated with China's vaccines. And they will inject new impetus into the economic recovery of Timor-Leste. As a friend and neighbor, China is always ready to stand with Timor-Leste's people hand in hand to help Timor-Leste overcome the current difficulties.

Thank you all.