Hungary sets example for European states

The government, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, sees the situation clearly and is committed to representing the interests of the Hungarian people, Song Lilei told Magyar Nemzet a recent interview. We asked the professor at Shanghai's Tongji University about the increasingly tense US-Chinese relations, the war in Ukraine and the Hungarian government's China policy.

20230605 budapest MCC Konferncia eloado havran zoltan magyar nemzet Fotó: Havran Zoltán

Lately, the term "New Cold War" has been appearing with increasing frequency in the Western media in connection with US-Chinese relations. What is China's position on this?
 − From the Chinese perspective, it is now more important than ever to continue globalization and to maintain the economic and trade relations that have already been established. We must not drift into a situation similar to the Cold War again, so we do not agree with the term. It is true, however, that the United States seeks to sever economic relations between China and the West in order to curb China's technological development. Nevertheless, China remains committed to international world order and participation in global governance.

At the same time, the current international system needs reforms, and should be made more democratic and accessible to more people.

Beijing respects international law, as well as the chapters of the UN Charter, especially those pertaining to peaceful coexistence. As a responsible great power, it tries to maintain friendly relations with all countries, and is also open to multilateral cooperation in order to promote a better global partnership.

From this approach, it follows almost directly that China is trying to act as a peacemaker in the Russia-Ukraine war...

− China is committed to a peaceful solution, and its primary goal is to bring the parties involved in the conflict to the negotiating table. To promote this, the Chinese government's special envoy for Eurasian affairs recently traveled to the region to meet with representatives of the countries that are either directly or indirectly affected by the war and to gather information. We know that this is a very difficult task, but the promotion of dialogue and the achievement of a ceasefire is what we are aiming for. That is why Beijing released its 12-point plan in February on how to end the war and achieve long-term, sustainable peace in the region.

By contrast, the majority of European leaders are pro-war and still believe that sanctions can help end the conflict...

− The people of Europe are experiencing first hand the negative effects of the sanctions such as runaway inflation and rising food prices. In addition, for the first time in decades, they are faced with the uncertainty caused by the war raging in their neighborhood, and they are worried about the future. 

It is time for European politicians to consider the interests of their own people and try to find a real solution to the problem.

To this end, Beijing has offered its help, and China is ready to act in cooperation with other interested parties to promote peace.

Photo: Zoltan Havran

Chinese diplomacy is also increasingly active in the Middle East. What can Beijing offer the countries of the region beyond what the United States has done in recent decades?

Perhaps that China respects the diversity of the world's civilizations.

Along these lines, we try to find the appropriate channels for cooperation, while conveying values ​​acceptable to all of humanity. We do this while respecting different cultures and heritages, as well as constantly looking for opportunities to maintain communication and cooperation. These initiatives are attractive to the Middle Eastern states, and are welcomed.

As with many other issues, Hungary differs from the Western mainstream in its relations with China. How is the Hungarian approach different?

− Hungary strives to become a bridge between West and East, namely the United States and China. The country has proven throughout history that it has the ability required to achieve this: Hungarians came from the East and successfully integrated into the Western community, joined the European Union, and can demonstrate continuous and outstanding economic growth.

The government, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, sees the situation clearly and is committed to representing the interests of the Hungarian people.

For this reason, it often comes into conflict with Brussels, since according to the European Commission, all member states should follow the guidelines and policies that they have designated. This is an erroneous approach; it is important for states like Hungary to keep their traditional values ​​and stick to their political decisions and elections.

This is a concept that other smaller European countries should also learn, and they should also take into account their own national interests.

Song Lilei is a professor at the School of Political Science and International Relations at Tongji University in Shanghai, deputy director of the European Research Center, and researcher at the university's German Research Center. She has published more than 30 articles in Chinese and English-language academic journals, two monographs on EU diplomacy, and four collections of studies on China-EU relations. She was a scientific associate of the EMECW LOT14 program of the Belgian Vrije Universiteit Brussel (2010), and a postdoctoral researcher at the Corvinus University of Budapest in 2014-2015 as part of the Erasmus Mundus GATE program. In 2015-2016, she was a research associate at the University of Oxford.

Cover photo: Song Lilei, a professor at Tongji University in Shanghai (Photo: Zoltan Havran)