Chinese state company builds hospital in East Timor [ 2007-08-29 ]

Beijing, China, 29 Aug ­ Chinese state company China Metallurgical Construction is to build a hospital in the East Timor district of Suai, bordering Indonesia, the East Timorese ambassador in China, Olímpio Miranda Branco, said Tuesday.

"The Timorese government launched an international public tender and the Chinese companies were those that offered the best conditions," he told Portuguese agency Lusa in Beijing.

The China Metallurgical Construction group is one of the biggest Chinese state companies, under the direct control of the central government, and was the 35th most profitable state company in 2006, according to information on the group’s website.

The Suai hospital is a project that is entirely financed by the Timor state budget, and is part of the policy to re-establish the East Timor hospital network, which includes the construction of six hospitals in the country.

As well as China Metallurgical Construction, Chines company Shandong Foreign Economic and Technical Cooperation is involved in the construction sector in East Timor, with the construction of the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Dili, a project financed by the Chinese government.

China has worked on the reconstruction of East Timor, financing projects such as the construction of the Presidential Palace and training civil staff, with over 100 Timorese receiving training in China, in 2007 alone. (macauhub)