Temporary stall lights illuminate a night market in Dili, Timor-Leste, on Aug. 22.
Photographer: Dimas Ardian/BloombergA $12 Billion Gas Project Could Make or Break This Young Nation
That’s making the U.S. nervous China will use debt as a way in to bolster its regional footprint.
The runway at the Xanana Gusmao International Airport on Timor-Leste’s southern coast is deathly quiet apart from roosters crowing on nearby farms. Built in 2017 to accommodate a $12 billion energy project, it’s now barely being used: The only scheduled flight last Saturday was canceled.
“I’m very proud of the airport, and I really want more flights to come here,” says operations manager Moises de Jesus, 25, as a few cleaning staff idly polish the gleaming tiled floors of the two-year-old airport. “Ultimately the government will handle organizing us to get more business, but for now we’re waiting.”