East Timor is located at the eastern end of the Nusa Tenggara Islands, bordering West Timor, Indonesia to the west and Australia across the Timor Sea to the south. It covers an area of about 15,000 square kilometers and has a population of about 1.31 million.
East Timor's main mineral deposits include gold, manganese, chromium, tin, copper, etc. It is rich in oil and natural gas resources, with proven oil reserves of about 5 billion barrels and natural gas reserves of about 700 billion cubic meters.
The non-oil and gas economy is mainly based on traditional services and agriculture. There are many mountains, lakes, springs, and beaches, and there is a certain potential for the development of tourism. East Timor actively develops foreign trade and strives to expand exports. The main export products are cash crops such as coffee, timber, rubber, and coconuts.
China was the first country to establish diplomatic relations with East Timor when it became independent in 2002. The two governments signed the Trade Agreement and a number of economic and technical cooperation agreements. The bilateral trade volume in 2018 was US$135 million.
