Prime Minister Viktor Orbán travelled to Beijing on Sunday, where he is participating in the third summit of the Belt and Road Forum and conducting official negotiations with Chinese leaders, Deputy State Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Press Office Bertalan Havasi told MTI.

Orbán already participated and delivered remarks at the previous two summits of the Chinese economic initiative in 2017 and 2019, the press chief reminded, adding that Hungary intends to remain part of this far-reaching cooperation in the future, He emphasized that

China is Hungary’s ninth most significant trading partner, and in 2023, China became Hungary’s largest foreign direct investor

once again. Companies with Chinese ownership provide employment to nearly 20,000 people in Hungary.

Hungary continues to be a good friend of China in Central Europe, and Budapest has high hopes for cooperation, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Monday, 16 October during his meeting with Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang in Beijing. He noted that the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries is approaching. He emphasized that the two countries have established effective cooperation and he has developed a personal friendship with previous prime ministers.

He added that political friendship between China and Hungary has a deeper cultural foundation as well. Hungary was the first country in the Soviet bloc to recognize China, and

it is the only Central European state that has consistently adhered to the ‘One China’ policy,

the prime minister stressed. He also recalled that Chinese President Xi Jinping received him in 2009 when Xi was still Vice President, while Viktor Orbán was the leader of the opposition. They will be meeting for the seventh time on Tuesday, which also shows the friendship between the two peoples. ‘I will do everything to continue a foreign policy towards China that is worthy of our predecessors,’ Viktor Orbán emphasized.

Li Keqiang stated that the two countries have a close friendship, which has contributed to the development of bilateral relations at the highest level, adding that Hungarian-Chinese relations are at their best ever.

Following his meeting with Li Keqiang, the Hungarian PM witnessed the signing of several intergovernmental agreements, including those related to major bilateral projects of the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as agreements on educational and industrial and investment cooperation. Agreements on economic and technological development, the digital economy, and climate protection were also signed.

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Sources: Hungarian Conservative/Press Office of the Prime Minister/MTI