(AseanAll)  — On July 2nd, 2026, at the Ministry of Defence of Timor-Leste in Dili, Defence Minister Donaciano do Rosário Gomes signed the Implementation Agreement for the Timor-Leste–China Friendship Hospital with the Counsellor of the Economic and Commercial Section of the Chinese Embassy in Timor-Leste. 

The construction of the hospital is the result of a donation from the Government of the People's Republic of China to the State of Timor-Leste, valued at approximately US$20 million, as part of the cooperation between the two countries.

The signing of the Implementation Agreement marks the final stage of the technical and administrative negotiations required to begin project implementation, thereby enabling the project management entity to proceed with the bidding procedures for the construction phase.

The future Timor-Leste–China Friendship Hospital will be built next to the Ministry of Defence and the headquarters of FALINTIL—the Timor-Leste Defence Forces (F-FDTL)—in Dili. The project involves constructing a 100-bed general hospital covering approximately 10,500 square metres, comprising an eight-storey main building and support structures, equipped with modern medical technology to provide outpatient care, emergency services, inpatient care, diagnostic imaging, clinical laboratory services, and intensive care.

The infrastructure is intended to strengthen the national capacity to provide health care to the F-FDTL, their family members, combatants and veterans, members of the National Police of Timor-Leste and their families. It may also support the provision of care to the general population, in line with the hospital’s mission and capabilities.

At the Council of Ministers meeting held on July 1st, the Chinese technical mission responsible for preparatory work presented the project's main features and implementation schedule to members of the Government, thereby clarifying the technical aspects and the phases planned for execution.

The donation agreement for the construction of the Timor-Leste–China Friendship Hospital was signed on August 21st, 2025, during the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of FALINTIL in Tasi-Tolu, Dili. The signing of the Implementation Agreement, which has now taken place, marks the next step towards the start of the construction phase of this infrastructure project, carried out within the framework of bilateral cooperation between Timor-Leste and the People’s Republic of China.