Understanding China-Timor-Leste Relations (2002-2019): Beyond Soft Power

This research examines China-Timor-Leste relations over the past nearly two decades since Timor-Leste’s independence in 2002 and its implications for Timor-Leste and the region. This is the first major scholarly study of bilateral relations between the two countries and the first major study of the bilateral relationship generally by using soft power and constructivism as the main theoretical frameworks for analysis. It is expected that the study will further enrich the existing literature on China’s relationship with developing country and fills the gap within the current literature on how China’s relationship with Timor-Leste has evolved since Timor-Leste’s independence.