China Daily Global Edition (USA)
Beijing, Budapest carry relations forward
Nations set to start another golden decade of BRI cooperation
President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that the China-Hungary relationship is now at its best in history, and he called on the two sides to summarize the valuable experience of the past and continue deepening practical cooperation in various sectors.
Xi, who had just concluded state visits to France and Serbia, made the remarks when meeting with Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok at Sandor Palace in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, on the third leg of his six-day European trip.
Calling Sulyok “an experienced statesman and a legal expert”, Xi said he appreciates the Hungarian president’s long-standing dedication to growing the China-Hungary friendship and his positive contribution to development of the bilateral ties.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1949, China and Hungary have always respected each other, treated each other as equals and pursued mutual benefit.
The traditional friendship between the two countries is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful outcomes, Xi said.
Last year, China was Hungary’s largest source of foreign investment, as well as its largest trading partner outside the European Union.
As the first European country to sign a cooperation agreement with China on the Belt and Road Initiative, Hungary has been a distribution center for China-Europe freight trains and a crucial link in the logistics transportation corridor between China and Europe over the past decade.
Looking to the future, Xi stressed the importance of summarizing the valuable experience of the past 75 years, which has ensured the steady development of bilateral ties.
He said the two sides should continue to treat each other on an equal basis, adhere to mutual trust and assistance, pursue mutually beneficial cooperation and uphold fairness and justice.
The enduring friendship between China and Hungary is neither targeted at nor constrained by any third party, he added.
The Chinese president also said that China welcomes Hungarian friends to board the express train of Chinese modernization and better align with Hungary’s Eastern Opening policy.
China will continue to work with Hungary to guide the correct direction for the joint building of the Belt and Road as well as the cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries, he said.
Xi also said it is hoped that Hungary, which is set to take over the rotating EU presidency in July, will seize the opportunity to promote the stable and healthy development of China-EU relations.
Sulyok, who jointly received Xi with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at a welcoming ceremony on Thursday morning, hailed the positive results of bilateral cooperation in various fields since the two countries established a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2017.
Hungary has greatly benefited through cooperation with China in areas such as infrastructure connectivity under the BRI, he said.
Sulyok said his country highly appreciates the Global Development Initiative and other initiatives proposed by the Chinese president, as they are crucial for addressing various challenges facing the world today and for preventing bloc confrontation by advocating for dialogue and cooperation.
Noting that it is an established policy of Hungary to strengthen cooperation with China, Sulyok said the Central European country looks forward to promoting key cooperation projects such as the Hungary-Serbia Railway to deliver more benefits to the people.
It is believed that Xi’s historic visit will elevate the comprehensive strategic partnership between Hungary and China to a higher level, he said.
Erno Peto, president of the Chinese Hungarian Chamber of Economy, said that Hungary’s role in the economic relations between Central and Eastern Europe and China will be more important than ever, as the two countries are expected to start another “golden decade” of jointly expanding Belt and Road cooperation.
Under the framework of the BRI, Hungary could act as a platform for EU market access, as well as a logistics hub and a financial center for Chinese businesses, Peto said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency.