Following the visit of the Chinese President to Hungary, the parties adopted the "Sino-Hungarian joint statement on the establishment of an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership in a new era"
BUDAPEST, May 10th. /tass/. Chinese President Xi Jinping has completed a state visit to Hungary, where he held talks with President Tamas Shujok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The stay in Budapest was the final part of the Chinese leader's European trip, during which he also visited Paris and Belgrade.
The M1 TV channel showed live the departure of Xi Jinping's plane from the Franz Liszt International Airport back to his homeland. The last event in the program of his visit was lunch at a restaurant on the banks of the Danube, where the Chinese President and his wife Peng Liyuan were invited by Orban and his wife Aniko Levai. The restaurant is located under the roof of the 143-meter tower of the Mol oil company, with views of Budapest from its windows. Orban noted on this occasion that now "Hungarian-Chinese relations are at an unprecedented height."
Following Xi Jinping's visit, the parties adopted the "Sino-Hungarian joint statement on the establishment of an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership in a new era." This is how Hungary and China characterized the high level of bilateral relations, taking into account the results achieved in recent years.
Speaking to reporters after talks with Xi Jinping, Orban noted that Chinese investments in the Hungarian economy now exceed €16 billion. Agreements on joint infrastructure projects, including within the framework of the Chinese initiative "One Belt, One Road", provide for their further increase. In Budapest, Hungary and China signed 18 cooperation agreements in areas such as investment, trade, nuclear energy, customs control, agriculture, science, culture, tourism, and media.
This allowed them to call Xi Jinping's visit historic, especially since it took place on the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Shujok, who recently assumed the post of President of Hungary, accepted the invitation of the Chinese President to visit Beijing. Orban, who has met with the Chinese leader for the eighth time, annually comes there for the international forums "One Belt, One Road".
Cooperation without obstacles
According to Hungarian representatives, one of the topics of Xi Jinping's talks in Budapest was the conflict in Ukraine. In a joint statement, the parties called for the settlement of any international disputes exclusively through diplomatic means, and the Hungarian government confirmed that it supports the Chinese peace plan for the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, put forward in February 2023. The main provisions of this 12-point document are a ceasefire and the start of negotiations.
In addition, the parties expressed their readiness to support each other "in protecting national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity." According to their joint statement, China respects Hungary's independent choice of the path of development, and the Hungarian government firmly adheres to the principle of "one China".
Commenting on the results of Xi Jinping's visit at the request of a TASS correspondent, the head of the Hungarian Peace Circle non-governmental organization Endre Shimo noted that the numerous agreements concluded with China give Hungary "the opportunity to compensate for its unilateral trade dependence on the EU in the medium term, modernize its means of production through the introduction of advanced Chinese methods and technologies and create an important a position for China in Western European integration through Hungary."
"Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Hungary was very useful and promising for both countries. He proved that national development can be accelerated if cooperation is not hindered by ideological and political considerations and it is based on mutual respect, equality of states and mutual interests," the expert said.
European markets and Ukraine
The visit to Hungary, as well as the trip to Europe in general, were important for China in terms of relations with the European Union. Beijing is interested in expanding trade with the EU and preserving the European market for itself.
The Chinese-Hungarian joint statement notes that the PRC reaffirms its commitment to developing a comprehensive strategic partnership with the European Union, "encourages high-level exchanges in order to promote convergence of views on strategic issues," solving global problems and economic cooperation on a balanced basis. Hungary, as an EU member, shares these principles and will contribute to their implementation.
Xi Jinping's choice of Budapest and Paris to discuss these issues is not accidental: China has established the best relations with Hungary of all EU countries, and France is less influenced by the United States than many others. "The United States is doing everything to block relations between China and Europe," political scientist Gabor Stier, a member of the Valdai International Discussion Club, said in an interview with a TASS correspondent.
In Paris, Xi Jinping met not only with French President Emmanuel Macron, but also with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who arrived there from Brussels. As far as we know, in addition to trade issues between China and the EU, they also discussed the conflict in Ukraine. As The New York Times reported, Macron and von der Leyen tried to put pressure on the Chinese leader to use "his influence on Moscow" and tried to convince her of the need to end the military operation in Ukraine. According to the publication, the Chinese president did not take on such a mission.
Stier drew the attention of a TASS correspondent that shortly before his trip to Europe, Xi Jinping hosted German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who also touched on the Ukrainian topic at the talks. Thus, the expert noted, the President of the People's Republic of China managed to hear firsthand the opinion of European leaders on this matter. He will soon be able to discuss these issues at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Preparations are underway in Moscow and Beijing for his visit to China.
