This Thursday, April 3rd, 2025, the Government of Hunan Province, of the People’s Republic of China, through the Representative of the Chinese Ambassador to Timor-Leste, officially handed over three ambulances to the Municipality of Manatuto. The ceremony took place at the premises of the Ministry of State Administration, where the vehicles were received by the Minister of State Administration, Tomás do Rosário Cabral. 

Following the formal reception, one of the ambulances was handed over to the Ministry of Health and received directly by the Minister of Health, Elia A.A. dos Reis Amaral. The remaining two units were given to the Manatuto Municipal Authority, represented by its President Luís Fernandes.

The delivery of these ambulances fulfills the commitment made by the Hunan Provincial Government during Vice-Governor Zhang Jian Fei’s visit to Manatuto on May 4^th to 5^th, 2024, which marked the tenth anniversary of the friendly partnership between Hunan and Manatuto. This donation aims to reinforce the municipality’s response capacity and contribute to strengthening the local health system. 

During his speech, the Minister of State Administration called for responsible management of the donated resources by the competent authorities and thanked the Chinese province of Hunan for its cooperation, expressing his intention to extend this partnership to other municipalities in order to help promote the well-being of the population.

 The friendly relationship between Hunan and Manatuto dates back to 2014, when Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão officially chose Hunan Province as a partner of the Manatuto Municipal Authority. The following year, current Minister Tomás do Rosário Cabral, then Vice Minister of State Administration, signed a letter of intent with a view to signing a memorandum of understanding. This agreement was formalized in 2019, with the signing of a memorandum of friendly cooperation between the two parties, focused on promoting development in the areas of agriculture, education, science, technology and cultural exchange. 

The ambulance handover ceremony was preceded by an official visit by the Minister of State Administration to Hunan on October 25^th, during which Vice-Governor Zhang Yingchun formalized the donation on behalf of the provincial government.