Hungarian Conservative

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary needs economic relations, not ideological ones, with both East and West in terms of future high technologies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin supports Beijing’s four-point peace plan for Ukraine, presented in April. However, peace seems further away than ever since the war’s outbreak, as Western leaders have adopted an increasingly aggressive stance ahead of the European elections.

The President of the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs outlined that while the European economy was sluggish in recent years, Hungary was able to continue to grow its foreign direct investments, in large part thank to its relations with China. The author believes that this approach would be advisable to follow for the whole of the European continent as well.

‘During this presidency, my job will be to improve China–EU trade relations and stop any attempts that try to limit and push back the quantity and quality of this relationship,’ Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated in relation to Hungary’s upcoming presidency of the Council of Europe in an interview with Chinese state television CCTV.

‘Hungary insists on following its own path: it stands up for its sovereignty, it defends families, its borders, and its economy. At the same time, it is open to the world, and wants to engage with all players around the globe, which includes skilfully attracting investments from the East, including Asia. But it does not want to lecture other countries; it does not want to be on bad terms with other countries, and it does not want to get into ideological debates. It wants growth, it wants security, and it wants peace.’

‘The Russia-Ukraine War clearly intimates an emerging multipolar order. States, and not just those in the Indo-Pacific, look around the world and discern that they have options…We are truly in a New World Order. Just not the one that its “end of history” architects originally envisaged.’

Among other agreements, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó announced preparations for the joint development of a high-speed railway connection, aimed at enabling swift and comfortable travel from the Liszt Ferenc Airport to the centre of Budapest. In addition, the possibility of building an oil pipeline between Hungary and Serbia will be explored with Chinese and Serbian partners, as well as the expanding of Sino-Hungarian cooperation to nuclear energy initiatives.

The Chinese President emphasized that during their discussions with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán they agreed that China and Hungary have always been good friends, trusting each other, assisting one another, and striving to establish mutually beneficial relationships.

China’s president Xi Jinping arrived in Hungary late last night. He is expected to stay in Hungary until Friday. Today he was welcomed with a military ceremony by President of the Republic Tamás Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in the Buda Castle.

Xi Jinping’s visit to Europe—the first in five years—is expected to be mainly business. The Chinese president is coming primarily to conclude new deals in the three countries he visited: France, Serbia, and Hungary. According to Carlos Roa, a guest researcher at the Danube Institute, Western analysts view the visit of the large Chinese delegation with concern for this very reason, as the trip seems more like a geopolitical signal.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to arrive in Hungary this evening, marking the end of his European tour. In anticipation of his visit, Xi penned an opinion piece in Magyar Nemzet, in which he discusses the significance and ways of strengthening relations between the two countries.

Hungarian-Chinese relations are largely about a medium-sized nation’s struggle to diversify and reduce the risk of having all of its eggs in the German manufacturers’ basket.

Viktor Orbán stated in Beijing that during President Xi Jinping’s tenure, Chinese–Hungarian relations have reached ‘unprecedented heights,’ which is extremely beneficial for Hungary. Orbán expressed gratitude to his host for the constant and unwavering support that Xi Jinping has provided for the development of bilateral relations.

The prime minister 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.

‘Indeed, things are getting so difficult for Xi’s authoritarian directives…China’s economy actually fell into deflation in July, while factory-gate prices also extended declines—its debt is three times its GDP in 2022. Beijing’s consumer price index, the main gauge of inflation, fell 0.3 per cent in July, the National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBS) said, after having flatlined in June.’

According to the Annual Persecution Report of ChinaAid, a non-governmental Christian non-profit that focuses on human rights abuses and religious freedom in China, government pressure on Christian churches and faithful to yield to political ideology has only increased since the signing of the 2018 agreement between the Holy See and Beijing.

Ukraine has proven to be quite willing to turn a blind eye to the transgressions of China for very pragmatic reasons. It seems practical stances in foreign policy are allowed after all, until some powerful figures in politics and media choose to stir up some selective outrage.

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang gives the readers not only an insight into 20th-century Chinese history, but it also powerfully speaks of human bravery and dedication to truth in the darkest hours of history.

Xi has been ruthless in his ten-year rule of China, curbing personal freedoms such as free speech and freedom of religion, arresting anyone who raised their voice against his authoritarian regime.