In May when the fragrance of flowers and grass on the Great Hungarian Plain fills the air, I will pay a state visit to Hungary at the invitation of President Tamás Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. This will be my second time to come to this land of beauty and abundance in a span of 15 years.
Over the past 15 years, I have met with visiting Hungarian leaders on many occasions. We have forged a deep friendship. I very much look forward to returning to your country to renew our friendship and work with my friends on a new blueprint for China-Hungary relations and cooperation in the new era.
Hungary is home to magnificent natural landscapes and talented people and is known for its profound historical and cultural heritage. The epic works of the patriotic poet Sándor Petőfi and the powerful melodies of the great virtuoso pianist Franz Liszt impressed the world. The Hungarian people, being industrious, intelligent, open, inclusive, pioneering and creative, have contributed to human civilization with inventions of the modern ballpoint pen, holography, and the Rubik’s Cube, to name just a few.
Although our two countries are geographically far apart, our two peoples have been friends for centuries. China and Hungary stood together in solidarity and looked out for each other in trying times of the global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving behind many touching stories of friendship. Our long-standing friendship is as mellow and rich as Tokaji wine.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of China-Hungary diplomatic relations. The bilateral relationship has since been developing and growing steadily and soundly with tangible results achieved in all fields. We respect and treat each other as equals, and pursue mutually beneficial cooperation. We see each other as a priority partner of cooperation. We have gone through hardships together and defied power politics together amid volatile international situations. We have found our respective path for sovereign states to independently conduct friendly exchanges with other countries.
Over the past 75 years, China and Hungary have remained good friends and treated each other with sincerity. We have kept our original aspiration for friendship in mind since the establishment of diplomatic ties. We have respected and supported the development path of our own choice respectively. We have shown understanding and provided support to each other on issues that bear on our respective core interests and are of major concern to us. We have taken delight in each other’s progress in national development and revitalization.
We have developed a high degree of political mutual trust. Our bilateral relationship is at its best in history, and has embarked on a golden voyage.