Speech of H.E. Ambassador Xiao Jianguo on the Handover Ceremony for the China-aided Project of DigitalTerrestrial Television Transmission System(DTMB) in Timor-Leste
12 July, 2021
2021-07-13 10:24
 

Your Excellency, Mr. Francisco Martins da Costa Pereira Jerónimo, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Social Communication,

Respectful Mr. Jose belo, President of RTTL,

Respectful Mr. Manuel Pinto, President of Tatoli,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends,

 

Good afternoon!

 

It is a real delight to join you on the handover ceremony for the  China-aided Project of Digital Terrestrial Television Transmission System (DTMB) in Timor-Leste. First of all, please allow me, on behalf of the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese Embassy, to extend my warm congratulations on the successful completion and acceptance of the Project. Secondly, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Your Excellency Minister Francisco who has been cared about and supported the project from the beginning to the end, to all the friends who present at today's ceremony, welcome.

 

In September 2019, with the joint promotion of the governments of China and Timor-Leste, the construction of the China-aided Project of DTMB officially started. For more than a year, the construction of the project has been highly valued by the high-level officials of the Timor-Leste government. Prime Minister Ruak, Minister Francisco and other officials visited the site occasionally to inspect the project construction and greet the project staff. In close cooperation with the relevant departments of Timor-Leste, the Chinese contractor stuck to the posts, fought in the front line, resolutely overcame the difficulties and challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and the flood disaster, pushed forward the project actively and steadily, and promoted the completion of the project smoothly and efficiently.  

 

We are glad to see that the project has achieved the expected results and met the requirement for acceptance after the joint inspection by the Chinese side and the Timor-Leste side. Under the current project, 22 digital channels are available for television viewers, including some TV programs of Chinese mainland and Macao. The program images are clear and viewing effect is perfect. In February 2021, the launching ceremony of the model project was held in Guiço, Liquisa district. Prime Minister Ruak, Minister Francisco and I attended the ceremony together. In recent months, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Social Communication has been carrying out the installation campaign of set-top boxes to each household on a large scale to promote the project to benefit 200,000 people in Dili, Liquisa and surrounding areas as soon as possible. Even at the residence of Prime Minister Ruak, TV set-top boxes were installed. Today, under your common witness, I will sign the handover document with Minister Francisco to formally transfer the project to Timor-Leste for operation and management.

 

"Friendship, which derives from close contact between the people, holds the key to sound state-to-state relations." The Chinese government has always attached great importance to closer cultural exchanges with Timor-Leste, and actively promoted pragmatic cooperation in various fields such as culture, education, film and television, and media sectors. The China-aided Project of DTMB is a vivid embodiment of the Chinese government's implementation of the "people-oriented" concept and the joint construction of "the Belt and Road" with Timor-Leste. It will become another important milestone in the history of development cooperation between China and Timor-Leste. The project will help Timor-Leste to introduce the latest technologies and solutions for the development of digital TV industry, greatly improve the management ability and level of the media industry, so as to grasp the global digital development trend and opportunities to promote its own digital development. At the same time, the project provides clear and colorful digital TV programs to the people of Timor-Leste for free, which greatly enriches their spiritual and cultural life and is of great significance for them to understand the outside world including China, learn knowledge and broaden their visions.

 

Your Excellency Minister Mr. Francisco,

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,

 

At present, the century's great changes and the unprecedented epidemic situation are intertwined and superimposed, and the instability and uncertainty are rising significantly. Human society is facing huge challenges, and no one or any country can be immune from them. China and Timor-Leste have always upheld the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, treated each other as equals, and cooperated in a friendly way to promote the healthy and long-term development of bilateral relations. Facing the pandemic, China and Timor-Leste have been supporting and assisting each other through strengthening cooperation in fighting the epidemic. China is the first country to make a quick response to your request, and the first to send a chartered plane to provide large quantities of medical supplies. So far, China has continuously donated 12 batches of medical supplies to the Timor-Leste. Last month, China assisted the Timor-Leste with 100,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine, which was widely praised by all walks of life  in Timor-Leste. This is also the single largest number of vaccines received by Timor-Leste. Facing the flood disaster in Timor-Leste in April this year, China provided US $100,000 for humanitarian emergency assistance in cash and another US $100,000 for the logistic support of disaster relief supplies through the World Food Program. At the same time, the overseas Chinese groups and the association of Chinese enterprises in Timor-Leste actively donated more than US $100,000 in cash and materials to help the reconstruction and economic recovery of Timor-Leste. All of these fully demonstrate the profound friendship between China and Timor-Leste to share destiny and overcome suffering together.

 

Last week, In his keynote speech delivered online at the summit of the leaders of the Communist Party of China and the world's major political parties, the leader of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping stressed that China is willing to strengthen high-quality cooperation with the international community in constructing "the Belt and Road", jointly increase the level of global connectivity and promote more countries and more people share the fruits of development. Timor-Leste is an important country along "the Belt and Road". We are willing to work together with Timor-Leste to expand cooperation fields and upgrade cooperation levels continuously on the basis of the current good cooperation, and promote the high-quality development in constructing "the Belt and Road" with Timor-Leste. I believe that, with the concerted efforts of the two sides, the big ship of the community with a shared future between China and Timor-Leste will surely sail ahead and toward a better future!

 

Thank you!

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