Chinese migrants in East Timor long for home but say Dili is better for earning a living

Walking through Timor Plaza, the largest shopping centre in East Timor, it’s hard to ignore the number of Chinese-owned stores – a sign of the steady increase in mainland migrants who started to arrive after China became the first country to officially recognise East Timor’s independence in 2002.One of the store owners is Ma Liyu, 54, originally from Ningde city in China’s Fujian province. She sells tea leaves and mobile phone accessories, with items in the store costing anywhere between US$13…