BUDAPEST, May 9 – President Xi Jinping expressed his wish to take the China-Hungary relationship to a higher level as he arrived in Budapest on Wednesday for a state visit to Hungary, the last stop in his three-nation trip to Europe.
“I look forward to meeting with President Tamas Sulyok, Prime Minister Viktor Orban and other Hungarian leaders,” he said in a written statement upon his arrival at the airport.
“We will jointly outline a new blueprint for cooperation and development, with a view to steering the China-Hungary relationship forward in big strides and taking it to a higher level,” Xi said.
The Chinese president’s visit came amid the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Hungary. Hungary was one of the first countries to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, back in 1949.
Scheduled to spend two nights in Budapest, Xi will meet with Orbán and Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok to discuss potential Chinese investments in Hungary.
Despite mainstream European leaders’ protective measures against China, Budapest has actively pursued economic ties with Beijing. In addition to trade and investment, China offered cooperation on public security and law enforcement to Hungary, as reported by the official Xinhua news agency.
Orbán, known for his nationalist-populist politics, positioned Hungary as the first country in the EU bloc to engage in Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Budapest’s diplomatic and trade relations with autocratic governments outside the EU and NATO underscore its balancing act between regional alliances and economic partnerships, say observers.
Prior to Xi’s visit, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced plans to sign at least 16 bilateral agreements, highlighting the historic significance of Xi’s inaugural visit to Hungary as president.
