Portuguese discovery of the sea route to India working on the Cape Route to India was charted by Portuguese King John II as a cost saving measure in the trade with Asia and also an attempt to monopolize the spice trade. Adding to the increasingly influential Portuguese maritime presence, John II craved for trade routes and for the expansion of the kingdom of Portugal which had already been transformed into an Empire. However, the project was not realized during his reign. It as his successor, King Manuel I, who designated Vasco da Gama for this expedition, while maintaining the original plan. However, this development was not viewed well
East Timor–Portugal relations Portugal as the administrative authority in East Timor. For their part, Portuguese officials saw a "moral obligation" to continue involvement in the affairs of a former colony. Portugal tried to get the Indonesian government to agree to a settlement, and even independence, for East Timor. However, Indonesia refused the offer because of fears that other secessionist movements could be emboldened. In 2007 and 2010, East Timorese President José Ramos Horta (who himself is half Português) visited Portuguese Prime Minister José Sócrates. Sócrates said that Portugal will strengthen relations with East Timor in various sectors, including education, justice, technology and politics,