Chinese Presidential Visit to Hungary Has Historic Significance + Video

PM Viktor Orban and President Xi Jinping put out joint press statement.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban hold joint press conference in Budapest on May 9, 2024. (Photo: MTI/PM Press Office/Vivien Cher Benko)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Chinese President Xi Jinping release a joint press statement on Thursday afternoon after bilateral talks. The Chinese president arrived in Hungary on Wednesday evening following visits to France and Serbia. Thursday morning, Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok received Xi Jinping on the first Chinese presidential visit to the country in twenty years. The timing of the meeting is also symbolic as this year marks the 75th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The joint press conference was opened by PM Orban.

It is a great honor for us to welcome the People's Republic of China President Xi Jinping on an official visit to our country on the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Twenty years have passed since the last Chinese presidential visit to Hungary. It was an entirely different world back then. And perhaps we had no idea at the time, how much can change in two decades,

the prime minister said.

"We have survived a pandemic that has claimed millions of lives. And I'd like to take this opportunity to personally thank the president for all the assistance he provided in this major emergency, enabling us to save the lives of so many Hungarians." He noted that "for two years we have been living in the shadow of war and never before has there been such a risk of an international and even world-wide war as there is now". "Looking back on the world economy and world trade 20 years ago, it is nothing like the world we live in today," he stressed.

At that time a unipolar world order prevailed, but "now we are living in a multipolar world order, and one of the pillars of this new world order is the People's Republic of China

- a country that is now setting the course of the world economy and world politics. Hungary has always maintained friendly relations with China, which have had a solid political foundation," Mr Orban said. "We have always acknowledged the one-China principle, have always based out relations on mutual respect, and have always regarded China as a friendly country. Indeed the wheels of history have never turned to putting the two countries into conflict with each other." Sino-Hungarian cooperation, he continued, is an ongoing "history of long decades of uninterrupted friendship".

The president's visit is particularly welcome at this critical time when war is raging in a neighboring country to Hungary and the world is debating whether to continue this war or to make efforts toward peace,

the PM said, highlighting the importance of Xi Jinping's visit.

"Our voice, the voice of Hungary, is a solitary voice in Europe, a Europe that today stands on the side of war. The only exception is Hungary, which is calling for an immediate ceasefire and peace talks, and supporting all international efforts towards peace, including the Chinese peace initiative presented by President Xi Jinping," he said, in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

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"We Hungarians are convinced that there is no solution to this conflict, this war on the battlefield, there is only death and destruction on the battlefield." He reiterated the Hungarian position that the solution lies at the negotiating table, and that there must be a ceasefire and peace talks.

On Hungarian-Chinese economic relations, the PM pointed out that "if we compare the current economic relations between the two countries with 20 years ago, we can see that the value of our trade was three billion dollars during the last Chinese presidential visit, and now it is 12 billion dollars, in other words they have quadrupled". There was then only one flight connecting the two countries, but now seven major cities can be reached directly from Budapest. "Back then the cooperation was one of friendly bi-lateral gestures without further concrete commitments, while today our statement, issued jointly with President Xi, speaks of a strategic partnership." "It is an honor and a great opportunity for Hungary that China has invited us to participate in the Chinese economy and to play a role in its modernization, and it is likewise a great opportunity for us that China is willing to participate in the development and modernization of the Hungarian economy," Mr Orban said.

Twenty years ago, you had to look long and hard to find a Chinese investment in Hungary, but today I can say that three quarters of all investment in the country last year came from China, and there is 6,400 billion forints (EUR 16.5 bn) in Chinese investment currently underway in Hungary,

he remarked.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (forward facing, second from right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (back facing, fifth from right) during a plenary meeting at the Carmelite Monestary in Budapest on May 9, 2024. Next to the PM are (to the left, from left to right), Istvan Joo, CEO of the National Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA), Balazs Orban, PM political chief, EU Affairs Minister Janos Boka, Construction and Transport Minister Janos Lazar, Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto and Natioanal Economy Minister Marton Nagy. (Photo: MTI/PM Press Office/Vivien Cher Benko)

Chinese investment provides tens of thousands of people with jobs, security and predictability, he said, stressing that "we are, of course, competing with others for these investments, with the Chinese companies deciding who wins the race for their investment, and we Hungarians are proud to be able to stand our ground in this competition".

I would also like to again assure President Xi that Hungary will continue to provide fair and equitable conditions for Chinese companies investing in Hungary, and we will create the opportunity for state-of-the-art Western and Eastern technologies to come together and establish cooperate in Hungary,

he assured the Chinese president.

Hungarians have major ambitions, Orban said. "The last hundred years, the 20th century, was a shameful century for Hungary, a lost century, and we suffered extremely heavy losses on a historical scale. The Hungarian vision is that we want to win the 21st century, not lose it, and to win it we need partners, investors, trading partners and the world's most modern technology", the PM said, summing up Hungary's long-term plans. Turning to the Chinese leader, he said that "Hungary wants to establish the best technology here in our own country, and there are areas in which China is the world's best, and in some areas it is the best by a giant margin."

That is why we thank you, Mr. President, and your delegation for supporting the economic cooperation that brings the world's most advanced technologies to Hungary, in electromobility, in the railway industry and in the IT sector.

He also expressed thanks for the concluded investment cooperation agreement, as well as for the agreement opening up "more export of agricultural and food products" from Hungary to China. Mr Orban also gave details about a new cooperation agreement between Beijing and the Hungarian government:

I mention this in particular because it is also an expression of trust and not merely an economic fact, that we are extending our cooperation to the whole spectrum of the nuclear industry, an area that has not had cooperation between the two countries so far.

He added, "This has great potential as Hungary has gained sizable international experience and prestige in the nuclear industry, having been in it for more than 50 years. And the largest nuclear development in Europe is currently taking place in Hungary."

In closing, the prime minister said that "our plan is that by the beginning of the next decade, Hungary will hike the share of nuclear energy to between 60 and 70 percent". Finally, he thanked Xi Jinping for inviting Hungary to be the guest of honor at the next China International Fair for Investment & Trade (CIFIT) in Xiamen, "where Hungary will go and show to the best of its ability, what it is capable of ".

Thank you again, Mr President, for your visit. Thank you for coming to visit Hungary, and we are especially grateful for the steps the People's Republic of China is taking to establish peace,

the Hungarian PM concluded.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (right) receives Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) at the Carmelite Monastery in Budapest, May 9, 2024. (Photo: MTI/PM Press Office/Vivien Cher Benko)

In his speech, President Xi Jinping thanked PM Viktor Orban and President Tamas Sulyok for the invitation, the kind hospitality and the cordial reception. He also conveyed to the Hungarian people, the warm greetings of the Chinese people.

This year we celebrate the 75th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. Over these past 75 years, the two sides have always pursued a path of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit to ensure that our relationship develops in the proper direction. As a result, we are now experiencing historically the best relationship between the two countries. We concluded friendly and fruitful talks with the prime minister,

the head of the East Asian power reported on the Hungarian-Chinese summit.

"We have discussed our positions in depth and reached consensus on strengthening Sino-Hungarian relations on issues of mutual interest in the new era." He also said that documents underpinning key bilateral cooperation were signed. "I am very much looking forward to the upcoming bilateral cooperation between the two countries," he said.

Prime Minister Orban and I agreed that China and Hungary have always been good friends, trusting and helping each other, and seeking to build mutually beneficial relations.

In Xi's view, Sino-Hungarian relations should be further developed, and cooperation between the two countries should be enriched. "We will issue a joint statement announcing a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Hungary for the new era," he added. "This will enable us to give a new impetus to the development of the two countries."

The Chinese president said that both Beijing and Budapest believe that continued political trust has created a solid basis for the strengthening of Sino-Hungarian relations.

"Both sides will maintain high level close cooperation and we will strengthen the dialogue between our governments, our legislatures and between political parties. We will share experiences in governance and firmly support each other's core interests". The president appreciates Hungary's firm commitment to the One-China policy and will continue to support Hungary's path of national interest-based economic development. "We both agree that the Belt and Road Initiative and Hungary's strategy of opening up to the East are perfectly compatible," he stressed.

That is why we are strengthening cooperation in our development strategy. We will deepen economic trade, as well as financial and economic cooperation, and promote the Budapest-Belgrade railway line along with other key projects,

President Xi said of joint Chinese-Hungarian plans.

"We are expanding our cooperation into emerging sectors and deploying a new level of forces to achieve economic and social development in both countries," he said. "We both believe that there is a solid foundation for the traditional friendship between the two countries, and we will continue to support the teaching of the two countries' languages, utilize our cultural centers, strengthen sports and media cooperation and promote mutual learning," he said, adding that plans included the further development of direct flights connecting the two countries.

China and Hungary will work together to expand the scope and increase Chinese cooperation in Central and Eastern European countries,

he said.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (right) receives Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Carmelite Monastery on May 9, 2024. (Photo: MTI/PM Press Office/Vivien Cher Benko)

"China greatly values the comprehensive strategic cooperation with the European Union," he added, pointing out that "China supports Hungary in gaining a greater role in the European Union and promoting development toward greater China-EU cooperation." Turning to international and regional affairs, he noted that Hungary and China share similar positions: China is on the path of modernization, which offers giant opportunities for the world.

China wishes to enjoy joint development and prosperity with Hungary. I am confident that with joint efforts from both sides, both China and Hungary can look forward to a brighter future,

Xi Jinping concluded.

Cover photo: Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban hold joint press conference in Budapest on May 9, 2024. (Photo: MTI/PM Press Office/Vivien Cher Benko)