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Timor-Leste is a small country in Southeast Asia with picturesque scenery but few people.
Some people make a fuss about this small country: it recognizes the mainland as its big brother, not only printing Chinese characters on its currency, but also boycotting Japan, and not a single Japanese is allowed to enter.
Is there really such a small country in Southeast Asia that is so desperate for the mainland that it even has the same ethnic hatred as the mainland? This is really not what they say about East Timor.
Today, let's take a look at Timor-Leste's monetary system and its diplomatic relations with China and Japan through this online message.
Rumors or truth?
First of all, the online news is fake. The kanji printed on the currency is fake, and it is also fake that the Japanese are not allowed to enter!
Let's start with currency.
Timor-Leste's banknotes are the international US dollars. Naturally, there are no Chinese characters on the dollar, but it is all in English. In addition to banknotes, there are also coins. Coins are "cents" of their own design.
But whether it's a banknote or a coin, you can't see a single Chinese character on it.
It is also inconceivable to say that East Timor will not allow the Japanese to enter. There are now Japanese in Timor-Leste, and the country and Japan have always maintained good diplomatic relations.
As of 2020, there are more than 60 foreign Japanese in Timor-Leste. And Japan has also provided a lot of assistance to the country on many occasions.
But to go into detail, the diplomatic relations between these two countries are really not that simple.
Japan and Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste has long been a victim of colonialism. It was colonized by Portugal for a long time, and was also controlled by Japan and Australia.
In the seventies of the last century, Indonesia set its sights on this piece of fat again, and even declared the country to be their province.
But at that time, the tide of the national revolution had already risen, and even the United Nations could not stand it anymore and demanded that everyone respect East Timor and return sovereignty.
It was not until 1999 that East Timor succeeded in achieving independence through a referendum. However, during this period, there were also bloody clashes between the opposition and independence factions in the country, and more than 200,000 people became refugees who had to flee their homes.
The United Nations urgently established a multinational force to be stationed in Timor-Leste. Finally, in October of that year, Indonesia ratified the country's independence.
It took another two years for the dust to settle and, on 20 May 2002, East Timor truly became an independent democratic republic. On the very day of its founding, the mainland established diplomatic relations with it, and Japan established diplomatic relations with it on the same day.
Japan is very attached to this small country. From the outset, it had sent thousands of staff to the country to maintain peace in the country in order to help it become independent.
In 2010, Japan decided to lend a helping hand again by sending its Self-Defense Forces to the country. This time, they will further maintain local law and order.
In 2016, Timor-Leste received the good news that Japan would provide them with a huge amount of aid worth 5 billion yen. This aid will be used to build universities and improve infrastructure.
Japan has sent peacekeeping troops to Timor-Leste
After that, the two countries will further strengthen economic exchanges and promote the economic development of Timor-Leste. At the summit meeting between the two countries, they also decided to carry out youth exchanges for the next five years, with about 1,000 people each time.
Why is Japan so attached to a small country? In the international arena, kindness cannot be the answer, but it must be that East Timor can bring certain benefits to Japan that Japan will provide them with such great assistance.
But Timor-Leste is a small country, where can it get something to repay or even help Japan?
It depends on the strategic location of Timor-Leste. Don't forget that Timor-Leste is located in the western part of the Pacific Ocean, not far from the South China Sea. There are many countries involved here, and the mainland is one of them.
And 2016 was the year of frequent problems in the South China Sea. Japan has said that because of the mainland's frequent activities in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, it has decided to visit Southeast Asian countries to strengthen their defense work.
Japan has taken the trouble to provide Timor-Leste with all kinds of economic and even military assistance in order to strengthen its influence in the South China Sea and contain the mainland.
Of course, on the South China Sea issue, Japan and the United States attach more importance to countries that have greater influence on the mainland, such as the Philippines. Although East Timor is a pawn that they are reluctant to give up, its actual effect is not so great, and it rarely has any substantive problems with the mainland.
This is not a precedent. As early as 2013, Japan considered increasing its military influence in the Pacific. The way they do this is by providing military assistance to Southeast Asian countries, such as patrol ships.
Initially, Japan wanted to cooperate with the United States and build a network of alliances. But there are only two or three countries, and this alliance may not be able to contain the mainland, so they want to pull in Indonesia, the Philippines and other countries.
And when the situation developed further, they decided to expand the target of military assistance. It was in this expansion that East Timor came into their consideration.
As a result, Timor-Leste is part of their South China Sea strategy, but its strategic location is not the most striking compared to other countries. Timor-Leste is still a relatively indisputable country by comparison.
Moreover, Timor-Leste itself is also very smart, knowing its own weight, and will not take the initiative to cause trouble. Although Japan is clear about them as part of its South China Sea strategy, they are friendly to the mainland.
Mainland and East Timor
Last year, the President of Timor-Leste openly stated at a dialogue meeting that China is a real big country, and Europe and the United States should not look at China with a narrow eye, and he believes that China will not do thankless things that harm others and itself.
In this remark, counterattack was the China threat theory of some countries at that time. Some countries believe that the rise of the continent must be stopped, or the world will be doomed.
It is clear that Timor-Leste is friendly to the mainland and very supportive of its development. Naturally, there is a reason for this view: the mainland has led to their development.
As the mainland's development momentum grows stronger and stronger, and the mainland's economic and other cooperation with many Pacific island countries is also increasing, Timor-Leste has tasted tangible benefits from it.
They have indeed witnessed the benefits brought to them by the rise of the mainland, so they have actively spoken for the mainland.
As a small country, they are vulnerable to hegemonism and malicious competition among countries.
He said pointedly that even those countries that "enjoy an honorary position" in the Security Council have not shown the role and leadership they should have, but are undermining peace and development.
In that regard, he believed that some countries were not spending money and aid in the right place to solve problems, but instead spent on endless and useless international experts and research.
epilogue
Although it is a small country, Timor-Leste has a clear grasp of the international situation. Their friendly, cooperative and inclusive attitude deserves our attention and maintenance.
But at the same time, we must also be vigilant against the fabrication of online rumors and do not indulge in false information.
Reference:
Verification | All Timor-Leste coins are printed with Chinese characters, and the Japanese are still not allowed to enter
Huanqiu.com: Japan will once again send a Japanese Self-Defense Force peacekeeping force to Timor-Leste
China News Network: Abe plans to provide Timor-Leste with a large amount of financial aid to help it join ASEAN
Global Times: Russian media: Japan regards the South China Sea as a major strategic issue and actively intervenes militarily in the South China Sea
China News Network: Japan plans to increase military assistance to the Philippines and Vietnam to counter China
Globe: President of Timor-Leste: China is a real great power, a magnet that attracts those who no longer have illusions in the West
Huanqiu.com: The President of Timor-Leste called on Europe and the United States not to look at China with a narrow eye: not believing in China will harm others and benefit oneself
Timor-Leste, the first new nation of this century, was officially established (photo) - News Center - North Network
China and Timor-Leste Sign Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations (Full Text)