Unveiling the Mystery of East Timor, a Post-2000 Country
2024-08-07
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Workers work on the drying ground at a coffee bean processing factory in Ermera, East Timor
Lonely Planet magazine once selected this place as one of the most valuable destinations. When you are in the undeveloped lush forests or see the "mermaid" dugong jumping out of the deep blue water, you will definitely feel the tranquil and leisurely charm of this land. Although it has experienced war, this youngest country in Asia attracts many people to come and explore its true appearance. It is East Timor.
East Timor, which declared independence in 2002, can be described as a "post-00s" in the world. Compared with similarly young countries such as South Sudan, East Timor has gradually stabilized after experiencing the turmoil in the early days of independence and has actively integrated into the international community. From July 28 to 31, East Timorese President Horta paid a state visit to China. This was Horta's first visit to China since he took office as president in 2022, and it was also the first state visit by the president of East Timor to China since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. During the visit, China and East Timor signed a cooperation plan for the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" to promote practical cooperation between the two countries in various fields.
The road to independence is bumpy
East Timor is located on Timor Island, the easternmost island of the Indonesian archipelago in Southeast Asia, with a land area of only 15,000 square kilometers. With the development of the spice trade in the 16th century, Portuguese and Dutch colonists came to this isolated but spice-rich land. Timor Island was selected as one of the main trading points on the Pacific route due to its advantageous geographical location at the intersection of Asia and Oceania, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. After several changes of hands, Timor Island basically formed a situation of two powers separated. The eastern part of Timor Island and a small enclave of Oecussi were ruled by Portugal, while the western part was assigned to the Netherlands.
For a long time, the people of East Timor have longed for independence. In 1975, the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor unilaterally declared independence, but soon Indonesia sent troops to East Timor. Since then, the conflict between the local people and Indonesia has continued until the United Nations peacekeeping force entered East Timor in 1999, and the local security situation has improved. That year, East Timor held a referendum, and 78.5% of the citizens voted in favor of independence. On May 20, 2002, East Timor officially declared independence.
After a long and tortuous road to independence, East Timor has not yet escaped poverty. The country has a weak industrial base, with only a small number of simple small-scale processing industries in the capital Dili, mainly textile, printing and soap production. Although East Timor and Indonesia's West Timor Province are on the same island, the education level, living conditions and infrastructure of the two are completely different.
However, as a young country, East Timor is also showing an optimistic side. The current President, Horta, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996. He served as the Prime Minister of the government after East Timor's independence, and promoted East Timor's recovery from war, worked hard to promote judicial construction, national reconciliation and economic reconstruction, encouraged foreign investment, and boosted East Timor's non-oil and gas economic growth. This year, East Timor also joined the World Trade Organization.
Resources to be developed
Due to weak infrastructure and lack of mature tourist routes, tourism in East Timor is still in its infancy, but it has great potential for development. From the iconic Christ statue in Dili to the pristine coral reefs of Atauro Island, to the historical relics of the Portuguese colonial period scattered throughout the country, it has also become a favorite place for many explorers and diving enthusiasts.
East Timor has a small population, but it is a melting pot of ethnicities and languages, covering about 40 dialects. Its cuisine is also a mixture of Southeast Asian and Portuguese cuisine. In Dili, follow the scent of Indonesian clove cigarettes to the night market in Timor Square, where the sizzling satay skewers on the grill stimulate people's taste buds, and there are more than 60 kinds of bubble tea alone. Makassar is one of the most popular traditional dishes in East Timor. It is made by wrapping chicken marinated in coconut milk and spices in banana leaves and then steaming it. Makassar is rich in flavor and accompanied by the silky taste of coconut milk, representing the East Timorese's love for cooking and local ingredients.
When God closes a door, he will certainly open a window for you. Although suffering from colonial rule and war and conflict, East Timor has rich oil and natural gas resources. So far, the proven oil reserves are about 3 billion barrels and the natural gas reserves are about 700 billion cubic meters. By the end of 2022, the oil fund has accumulated to US$17.41 billion. In addition, there are many other minerals such as gold, manganese, chromium, tin, and copper, but they have not yet been mined on a large scale.
Located on the equator, East Timor has a unique advantage in growing coffee beans, and coffee has gradually become a brand that the country showcases to the outside world. Coffee is known as one of the three treasures of East Timor, and kopi luwak is the world's top coffee. Due to its low production and excellent taste, the price of brewing a cup of East Timorese kopi luwak coffee is as high as thousands of RMB, and it is known as the Rolls-Royce of the coffee industry. "Every year we hold a coffee festival, and people will taste coffee, and the effect is very good," said local chief Mendoca, "The coffee culture here is very popular, and you can drink six or seven cups of coffee a day."
Through the Shanghai International Import Expo, East Timorese coffee has become more well-known and even become a popular product on the Internet. "Coffee consolidates the exchanges between the people of the two countries. It is a bridge that connects East Timor and China." Former East Timorese Prime Minister Ruak once said in an interview.
Author: Shen Qinhan
Text: Our reporter Shen Qinhan Photo: Xinhua News Agency Editor: Gu Wenjun Responsible editor: Liu Chang
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