The Second Conference of the Forum on Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese- speaking Countries will be held here from Sept. 24 to 25. The following is a brief introduction to Timor-Leste, one of the seven Portuguese-speaking countries:

Bordering on the southeastern part of Indonesia and located at the Kepulauan Nusa Tenggara Islands' eastern-most part, Timor- Leste has a population of 920,000 in an area of 14,874 square km.

Situated in the Tropics, the country has mineral resources of gold, manganese, chromium , stannum and copper and abounds in petroleum and natural gas reserves in its surrounding marine space, where lies the world's second largest oil reserve, only after the Middle East.

Timor-Leste is mainly an agricultural economy with its peasants accounting for 90 percent of the country's population. The country 's major agricultural products are corn, rice and tuber crops, while its cash crops include coffee, rubber, sandal and coconut. Given the existence of many mountains, lakes, springs and beaches within its territory, Timor-Leste has great potential in developing tourism.

China is the first country to have established diplomatic ties with Timor-Leste. Bilateral trade between China and Timor-Leste began in 2003, and an agreement on economic and technological cooperation was signed between the governments of the two countries in 2005.

By the end of 2004, Timor-Leste entrusted Chinese companies to prospect for onshore oil. Chinese companies also signed an agreement on fishery cooperation with Timor-Leste in 2004, under which the two sides set to work together in fishing, aquatic products processing and tourism. It is the first time for Timor- Leste to have opened its marine space to the outside world.

Source: Xinhua