Letter of Congratulation at the Departure Ceremony for 6 Timorese Students Winning Chinese Government Scholarship

by H.E. Fu Yuancong, Ambassador Extraordinary an Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Letse

Beijing, 12^th August 2010

The Hon.Paulo Assis Belo,Vice Minister of Education,

The Hon.Vicky Tchong, Secretary General of the Foreign Affairs Ministry,

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

My Dear young Friends,

You are most welcome to the Chinese Embassy!

First of all, please allow me to extend my warm and sincere congratulations to the 6 Timorese students winning the Chinese Government Scholarship. In just one or two week's time, you will depart from Timor to China for further study in several esteemed universities there. I feel it is a pity that due to work assignment, I couldn't as scheduled, attend this evening's departure ceremony and hand over the Admission Notice to each of you. So,please accept my best wishes from Beijing afar. My wife and my Embassy colleagues will host the ceremony on my behalf, and I will ask them to share with you this joyful moment. I would be much pleased if you could spend a happy and memorable evening at the Chinese Embassy.

My dear young friends, I how it is no easy in any way for you to finally win the Chinese Government Scholarship, I know how tough it is to distinguish yourself among so many good students in the selection, particularly from the long list to the short list. This is the reward of your personal endeavour, and truly a pride for your parents, teachers, relatives, friends and everyone who knows you. Meanwhile, it also represents a shining point in the educational exchanges between China and Timor-Leste. The last couple of years have witnessed the overall development of the good relations between our two countries, the tremendous progress in the educational exchanges and cooperation in Particular. So far, up to 21Timorese students, you 6 lucky boys and girls included, have been admitted to the renowned Chinese universities under the Chinese Government Scholarship program, studying various majors such as international politics, medical science, the science of law, communication engineering, etc. Since 2009, the quota of Chinese Government Scholarship to Timor-Leste has been doubled, from 3 each year to 6 each year, and the figure might go up in the coming years. Except for government scholarship, the Chinese Government also provided over the years more than 500 short-term training opportunities for Timor-Leste. I share with you the expectations for more exchanges and cooperation in the educational, cultural and other fields between China and Timor-Leste.

May I take this opportunity to say a few words to our friends here with us tonight:

Mr. Belo, dear Vicky, my thanks go to you and the Ministries you represent, for the work you have so beautifully done in the selection of candidates for the Chinese Government Scholarship, for your kind attention and valuable support to China-Timor educational exchanges and cooperation. Let's work more closely to make new progress in the educational, cultural and other sectors.

Parents of Bety, Branca, Antonio, Moises, Helio and Egidio, I feel proud of and grateful for the good boys and girls you raised. Please rest assured that they will lead a pleasant life in China, as the Chinese Government and school authorities will take good care of them.

My thanks also go to the teachers and Rectors of the 6 students, for the excellent students you taught. It is my hope that in the future, among the outstanding graduates under your teaching, more and more could have the chance to go to China for further study.

To our media friends at the ceremony tonight, I should say a big thank-you for your persistent focus on the friendly relations between China and Timor-Leste, and for the fair, objective and amicable reports you have always made. Please, my friends, give your hand to Chinese Embassy's efforts to promote the China-Timor relationship, just as you did in the past.

Bety, Branca, Antonio, Moises, Helio and Egidio, my dear young friends, the following words are for you. I may quote what the late Chinese leader Chairman Mao Zedong once said, that "the young people are just like the rising sun at 8 or 9 o'clock in the morning". Why did he say so? Because in his mind, young people represent the future and the hope. I have every reason to believe that you will score outstanding performance throughout your four-or five-year study in China, and after returning home, it is right time for you to make due contribution to the nation building of Timor-Leste. It is my hope that, in the years to come, you would also become the good envoys in the people-to-people exchanges, just like a bridge connecting the traditional fraternity to the bright future of Timor-Leste and China.

Can my dream be realized?

Yes, we can.

Thank you very much.