Chinese President Xi Jinping and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met on Thursday in Budapest to elevate their bilateral relationship to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era.
During the final leg of his European tour, President Xi pledged that Beijing would work closely with Budapest to align the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with Hungary’s Eastern Opening strategy, aiming to enhance collaboration across various sectors.
Hungary, a member of both NATO and the European Union, has maintained a long-standing and robust partnership with China. In 1949, Hungary was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with China. It was also the first European nation to sign a cooperation agreement for the China-proposed BRI. Furthermore, Hungary hosts the first Renminbi (RMB) clearing center in Central and Eastern Europe and was the first to implement Chinese and local language instruction in public schools.
Hungary’s Eastern Opening strategy has significantly bolstered cooperation between the two nations. As a result, Hungary has become China’s top investment destination and an important trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe. According to official data, one-sixth of Hungary’s foreign direct investments come from Chinese investors.
“There is a large workforce and highly developed technologies in Eastern economies. So it’s obvious that a country cannot operate economically successfully if it doesn’t have cooperation with the East,” said Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó.
The deepening ties between China and Hungary reflect a mutual commitment to shared development and prosperity. The strengthened partnership is expected to open new avenues for economic collaboration, cultural exchange, and political dialogue, contributing positively to broader Asia-Europe relations.
Reference(s):
Shared value takes China-Hungary relationship to golden voyage
cgtn.com
