Chinese President Xi Jinping left Hungary on Friday, concluding a tour of three European nations meant to meant to reinforce China’s growing influence on the continent. Xi’s plane took off from Budapest airport on Friday evening, after five days in Europe that began with a visit to France and then Serbia.Earlier on Friday, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on the social platform X that Xi had concluded his three-day state visit to Hungary, the last stop on his Europe visit, hailing the development of the two nations’ “strategic partnership.
” During the visit, Hungary and China signed a number of new agreements on deepening their economic and cultural cooperation. During a news conference on Thursday, Orbán praised the “continuous, uninterrupted friendship” between the two countries since his tenure began in 2010, and promised that Hungary would continue to host further Chinese investments. Xi began his visit with a meeting earlier in the week with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Their talks focused on trade disputes — including lifting tariff threats on Cognac exports — and Ukraine-related diplomatic efforts. He next went to European Union candidate Serbia, where the two nations signed an agreement to build a “shared future.”
Nuclear cooperation
In fact, during this visit, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Chinese President Xi Jinping yesterday announced plans for comprehensive co-operation across the entire spectrum of nuclear power, saying that this could add a new dimension to bilateral relations. Orbán, speaking at a joint press conference with Xi, said nuclear power will provide 60-70% of Hungary’s energy by the beginningof the next decade.
China to take part in ambitious rail line project
China and Hungary signed agreements yesterday on the construction of a railway ring by passing Budapest, previously referred to as V0, and a high-speed rail link between Liszt Ferenc Airport and downtown Budapest, as well as several other pacts.
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said preparations will begin for the construction of a railway ring bypassing Budapest in the framework of a joint Sino-Hungarian development.
“This is extremely necessary because significant Chinese investments are taking place in Hungary, basically in the eastern half of the country, but the products to be produced here will be marketed mainly in the western half of Europe, so transportation must be made more efficient and sustainable,” he said.
Szijjártó also announced an investment aimed at the further development of the charging network for electric cars; the construction of a new high-capacity border crossing with Serbia; and plans to build a crude oil pipeline between Hungary and Serbia, with Chinese and Serbian partners.