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Chinese President Xi Jinping praised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government for pursuing an “independent” foreign policy and “defying” great power politics during a visit to Europe, but the aim was to exploit the division between the EU and NATO. Analysts point out that
Xi, who is scheduled to leave Serbia for Hungary on Wednesday night as part of a five-day European tour, said in a letter published by Hungarian media group Magyar Nemzet that Budapest would “improve the Central and Eastern European countries’ relations with China.” asked to take the lead. .
“Amid unstable international relations, we have overcome difficulties together and resisted authoritarian politics together,” Xi said in the English version of the article. “We have found a way for sovereign nations to voluntarily engage in friendly exchanges with other nations.”
The comments come as Orbán, Europe’s longest-serving prime minister, has ignored pressure from Brussels, the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to maintain friendly relations with Moscow and deepen business ties with China. This seems to be a reference to that.
President Xi told French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday that the world needs to avoid a “new Cold War.” This is part of Beijing’s campaign to persuade European governments to distance themselves from U.S. foreign policy, which appears to be aimed at curbing China’s rise.
China considers Hungary one of its closest partners in Europe and is committed to investing heavily in the country. Chinese officials said one of the potential projects being considered is China’s Great Wall Motors electric vehicle factory, following investment by EV maker BYD and battery maker CATL.
However, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said reports that Xi might announce factory plans during the visit were premature, adding: It is against Hungary’s national interests to talk about it,” he added.
Szijjártó said he expected at least 16 agreements to be signed with China during Xi’s stay in Hungary, including in infrastructure, construction, energy and industrial sectors. The two countries said they would launch a cooperation program “covering the entire nuclear energy portfolio.”
According to Chinese estimates, cumulative foreign direct investment by Chinese companies in Hungary could reach 30 billion euros by the end of this year.
“Both countries need to take the lead in regional cooperation,” President Xi said in the letter, noting that Hungary will help China deepen ties with Central and Eastern European countries to ensure “stable” relations between China and the EU. He added that he may be able to help.
Xi’s comments are unlikely to alleviate European concerns about Beijing’s priorities.
In his meeting with Macron, Mr Xi gave no basis for European complaints that China’s oversupply and weak demand could threaten EU industry through the dumping of cheap products onto the internal market.
The EU is also concerned about Xi’s close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and China’s growing trade with Russia, which has led to Russia launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. , which the EU claims is helping it withstand Western sanctions.
Analysts said Xi’s visits to Hungary and Serbia, some of Europe’s most Russia-friendly countries, would do little to allay those concerns.
In October, Orbán became the first EU leader to meet with Putin since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The meeting was held in Beijing on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum, Xi’s signature infrastructure investment initiative, and Orbán was the only European leader to attend.
Mr. Xi, who arrived in Serbia on Tuesday, slammed NATO over the 1999 bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade that killed three people, saying the Chinese and Serbs “must never forget” the incident. Stated.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić welcomed President Xi to Belgrade on Wednesday, telling the crowd that he was pleased to give the Chinese leader “the warmest welcome anywhere in the world.”
“If you ask me about China, I cannot give you a complicated answer,” Vučić told Xi. “We have a lot of problems as a small country, and that’s when we call on our big friends, the president.”
President Xi responded, “This is a sincere and friendly relationship between the two countries.” “There is a strong sense of friendship between our countries.”
Vučić welcomed the free trade agreement with China, which will come into force in July, saying it will “bring security” to Serbian farmers.
Construction and Transport Minister Goran Besic told reporters that Serbia plans to purchase Chinese high-speed trains for the Belgrade-Budapest railway, which is expected to be mostly completed by the end of 2024, and that China is also involved in building Belgrade’s first metro. He said he would participate.
