Timor Gap President Francisco Monteiro has said Timor-Leste and Chinese officials are discussing Chinese financing for the US$943 million port of Beaço, part of the Greater Sunrise oil and natural gas project in Timor-Leste, Lusa reports.
The Portuguese news agency says state-owned China Civil Engineering Construction Corp. announced last month that it had signed a contract with state-owned oil firm Timor Gap to build the port of Beaço.
The report quotes Mr Monteiro as saying the deal is in line with the 2017 agreement by Timor-Leste to cooperate with the Chinese Belt and Road initiative.
Mr Monteiro said he expected work on the port of Beaço to begin in 2021 and create up to 3,000 jobs.
Gas from the Greater Sunrise gas fields off Timor-Leste will be processed at a facility near Beaço and then exported through the port.
