This paper explores whether the practices enacted by China and Japan in Timor-Leste indicate a challenge to the liberal peacebuilding paradigm with an alternative model. Examining Timor-Leste, which was hailed as a model of liberal peacebuilding in the early 2000s but is now facing significant challenges to the peacebuilding and state-building project, and is captured by the global challenges to the peacebuilding field, this paper argues that China’s approach to peacebuilding is not yet sufficiently developed, although it does provide opportunities for individuals to challenge the Western paradigm. Meanwhile, Japan is too closely linked to other Western peacebuilders to be considered an alternative model in its own right. Drawing on data from over fifty interviews conducted in Timor-Leste between April and July 2023, this paper contributes to a nuanced understanding of peacebuilding practices.