ASEAN Trade & Tech: Timor-Leste joined the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning as a full ASEAN member and co-host, with the event spotlighting CAFTA 3.0 opportunities, AI marketplaces, and matchmaking for deals across transport, logistics and industrial parks. Renewables Finance: Ashurst Perkins Coie backed IFC, ADB and JICA on Timor-Leste’s landmark US$85.7m utility-scale solar plus battery storage project, a 73.7MW plant with 80.2MWh storage to supply EDTL under a 25-year power deal. Humanitarian Disarmament: Timor-Leste officially signed on to the Convention on Cluster Munitions at a Vientiane review conference, backing global efforts to reduce harm from unexploded ordnance. Mining & Exports: Estrella Resources expanded its Timor-Leste copper-gold hunt with two new exploration licences and secured conditional approval for a maiden manganese export to Indonesia. Digital Payments: NBC and the Central Bank of Timor-Leste signed an MoU to deepen cross-border digital payment cooperation. Regional Integration: Commerce Minister Filipus Pereira said ASEAN membership is about building local capacity and attracting quality investment, not just opening markets.