According to a statement issued by Hungary's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, FM Szijjarto shared details of his meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, where they discussed the implementation of agreements made in May, the state of EU-China relations and global political steps necessary to promote peace.
Hungary is a prime example of the significant economic benefits that can arise from cooperative East-West relations. In my view, if the European Union wants to improve its dramatically declining competitiveness, it cannot achieve that by viewing China as a rival and fostering confrontation, rather than building Chinese-European cooperation,
– Mr. Szijjarto stated.
The EU’s clear interest would be in developing its cooperation with China, not fostering conflict, he added. In this context, he criticized the European Commission's proposal to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers, calling it a bad idea that would have a negative impact on the European economy. Mr. Szijjarto underlined that the decision is unfounded and pointed out that, while Brussels claims to act in the interests of European automakers, many of these companies are “fighting tooth and nail” against the tariff hikes, as they too would suffer significant harm due to their presence in the East Asian market, with some even having outposted production capacities there.
“We can clearly see in Hungary how closely Western European and Chinese automakers are working together on their electric mobility strategies,” FM Szijjarto noted.
So, Hungary opposes the tariffs, will vote against their implementation and hopes that in the coming years, it will be able to establish a civilized, calm, and mutually respectful economic cooperation with China,
– he said.
He also warned that there are armed conflicts in more than 30 countries worldwide, adding that most of these are trending towards escalation rather than peace.
“For us, it is especially painful to witness a severe war situation in a neighboring country. What’s even more sad is that in the transatlantic region, American and European politicians are constantly fueling tensions, pouring oil on fire and promoting a pro-war atmosphere that brings with it the serious danger of escalation,” Mr. Szijjarto stated.
That’s why we highly appreciate efforts by the People's Republic of China’s towards peace. We value the Chinese-Brazilian initiative that has emerged in the form of a peace plan. We appreciate China’s leadership in the global pro-peace majority, and Hungary will continue to do everything possible to ensure that global peace efforts succeed. To this end, we will maintain close cooperation with the People's Republic of China,
– he added. FM Szijjarto also emphasized that his Chinese counterpart had reaffirmed this commitment, paving the way for continued mutually respectful and beneficial cooperation between Hungary and China in the future.
Cover photo: Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto (Photo: AFP)
