China’s President Xi Jinping will visit Hungary from May 8-10, said Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of staff during a press conference on Thursday. Gergely Gulyas said that it was in Hungary’s interest to have a good economic relationship with as many countries as possible and that China was one of the leading powers of the world, “stronger than the European Union”.
“Hungary thinks that it is not worth setting up ideological boundaries when it comes to economic relationships and we are happy about the Chinese president’s two-day visit,” Gulyas said.
In February, during a visit to Budapest, a senior official from Beijing offered China’s support to Hungary on public security matters, extending their cooperation beyond just trade and investment. This was confirmed during meetings with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Interior Minister Sandor Pinter.
The enhanced cooperation between the two countries comes as Hungary has sought to assert its independence from Western countries in the past decade under Orban.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will also meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris in early May, marking his first European visit since the pandemic. This visit aligns with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Paris and Beijing. The meeting comes at a time when China is attempting to mend strained relations with Europe, particularly following Xi’s declaration of a “no limit partnership” with Russian President Vladimir Putin amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. However, the atmosphere in France is expected to be more subdued than the celebrations observed during the 50th anniversary, a source familiar with the trip’s planning noted.
In recent months, Beijing has been making efforts to counter Europe’s strategy of de-risking, which it perceives as being influenced by the United States. The trip, which has taken months to plan, will be closely monitored both in Washington and throughout European capitals.
With Inputs From Reuters
