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East Timor targets closer Asean-Greater Bay Area ties to spur economic growth

Asean’s newest member says cooperation between the two regions should be based on a commitment to inclusive growth and trust

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East Timor’s Deputy Prime Minister Francisco Kalbuadi Lay speaks at SCMP’s GBA-Asean Summit 2026 on Tuesday. Photo: Handout
Kolette Lim
East Timor is seeking to turn closer ties between Asean and China’s Greater Bay Area into investment and technology opportunities, even as the bloc’s newest member faces a major challenge of building capacity to benefit from regional integration.
While collaboration between the two regions could become a powerful engine of growth, policies had to ensure inclusive and sustainable advancement, East Timor’s Vice Prime Minister Francisco Kalbuadi Lay said at the South China Morning Post’s GBA-Asean Summit 2026 on Tuesday.

Their strengths complemented one another, with the Greater Bay Area – which links Hong Kong, Macau and nine cities in Guangdong province – leading in technology and finance, while members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations had a combined population of 680 million, Lay said.

“Asean and the GBA [Greater Bay Area] represent one of the world’s most dynamic engines of the economy,” he added.

“We can build more resilient supply chains, accelerate digital transformation, strengthen sustainable industry and create greater prosperity for our people.”

Newer Asean economies such as East Timor have been looking to closer regional ties for investment and technology transfer, while diversifying their economies and strengthening their institutions.

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