China-CEE summit – Orbán: China’s economy fount of opportunities

China’s strengthening economy offers a fount of opportunities to countries in central and eastern Europe, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after a forum attended by leaders of China and the CEE region in Budapest on Monday.

At a press conference, Orbán noted Asia’s increased weight “in the new world order which is now forming”, adding that China had become “a dominant financial and technological power”.

He said central and eastern Europe harboured great potential but technology and financing from outside Europe was required to meet future development needs since the continent’s resources were no longer sufficient.

On behalf of the CEE countries, Orbán hailed that China as part of the new world order seeks to be present in the development of central and eastern Europe.

Orbán called China-CEE cooperation a success story. At present 11 EU member states and five non-EU countries are involved in the 16-plus-one cooperation with China. One key question is whether they are able to launch ambitious, large-scale development projects that enhance the region as a whole, he added.

China’s Prime Minister Li Keqiang said China would like to see a prosperous Europe, and the country supports both European integration and the development of countries aspiring for EU membership.

Li Keqiang said central and eastern Europe was the EU’s most rapidly developing region, with an average GDP growth rate of 3 percent per annum. Cooperation with China, whose economy grew by 6.9 percent in the first three quarters of 2017, could enhance this trend, he said.