The past 77 years have witnessed China’s relentless pursuit of progress through trials and triumphs. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Chinese people have opened a path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, achieving the historic transformation from national independence to prosperity and strength, while sustaining rapid economic growth and maintaining long-term social stability. The year 2026 marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the CPC and the opening year of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. We are advancing Chinese modernization on all fronts through high-quality development, striving unremittingly for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and for the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.
Author: His Excellency Gong Tao, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Hungary
China’s high-quality development is people-centered. In December 2025, the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel in Xinjiang was opened to traffic. With an investment of RMB 6.08 billion and a total length of 22.13 kilometers, the tunnel cuts through the Tianshan Mountains at an elevation of more than 3,000 meters above sea level, closely linking northern and southern Xinjiang. A journey that once took seven hours now takes no more than 30 minutes, making travel and logistics much easier. As a local tour guide put it when introducing the tunnel: “Because the people need a good road like this, the motherland can make the mountains bow and the rivers yield. It is not that piercing through the Tianshan Mountains is easy; it is that the people are on the other side.” These words capture the underlying logic of Chinese modernization and the commitment of the CPC and the Chinese government to ensuring that development truly delivers for the people.
China’s high-quality development is driven by innovation. In 2026, China continues making fresh progress in artificial intelligence, embodied robotics, computing power and commercial spaceflight, among other areas of innovation. Behind these remarkable achievements lies sustained investment in science and technology and a dynamic innovation ecosystem. China’s R&D intensity has surpassed the OECD average, with 77 percent of R&D investment coming from businesses. We have built an innovation ecosystem that is deeply integrated, open, inclusive and full of vitality. In Shenzhen’s Robot Valley, more than 200 robotics companies have gathered within a half-hour radius. It has become clear that decoupling benefits no one, and that a “small yard, high fence” strategy cannot hold back China’s technological innovation. China has always based its development on the strength and ingenuity of its people, while remaining open to international cooperation in science and technology.
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China’s high-quality development creates opportunities for the rest of the world. What China pursues has never been self-interest alone, but a community with a shared future for humanity in which all countries can thrive together. Committed to world peace, China has always approached international issues on their merits, acted on the principles of objectivity and justice, and actively explored solutions to hot-spot issues with Chinese characteristics. In September this year, President Xi Jinping put forward a four-point initiative on building a security architecture in the Middle East, contributing China’s solution to lasting stability in the region. On the Ukraine crisis, China remains committed to promoting peace talks and playing a constructive role in advancing a political settlement. Committed to global development, what China brings to the world is not shocks, but opportunities. By opening its vast market, driving industrial innovation, and maintaining stable supply chains, China is bringing greater certainty to the sluggish global economy. China’s economy continues to grow steadily—supported by the world’s largest and one of its most dynamic middle-income groups—making China an increasingly attractive market. In the first eight months of 2026 alone, China’s imports grew by more than 22 percent. Committed to upholding the international order, China has put forward the Global AI Governance Initiative and helped establish World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization in Shanghai, the first intergovernmental organization dedicated to AI, in an effort to bridge the global digital divide and promote fairer AI governance.
This year marks the 77th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary, with Hungary being one of the first countries to recognize the PRC. Having stood the test of time, China-Hungary relations have continued to grow in a sound and steady manner. Deepening our friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation has become a shared aspiration and consensus of our peoples.
Mutual respect is the political foundation of our bilateral relations. Despite our different histories, cultures and political systems, China and Hungary have always treated each other with mutual respect, understanding and trust, and regarded each other as reliable partners. China respects the choice of the Hungarian people, never interferes in Hungary’s internal affairs, and appreciates the adoption of friendly policies toward China by successive Hungarian governments, including their adherence to the One-China principle. Following the formation of Hungary’s new government and National Assembly, the leaders of our two countries have maintained friendly exchanges, charting the course for the future development of bilateral relations.
Mutual benefit and win-win outcomes are defining features of our cooperation. Chinese businesses have invested in a wide range of areas in Hungary, creating tens of thousands of jobs and becoming an important force in driving local industrial upgrading, green development and economic growth. Chinese companies operating in Hungary are also contributing to local innovation, R&D and talent development, building close partnerships with universities such as the University of Debrecen and the University of Szeged. It is hoped that the Hungarian government will continue providing a sound business environment for Chinese businesses. Connectivity between our two countries has continued to improve, with 22 direct passenger flights per week connecting Budapest with seven Chinese cities and further strengthening Budapest’s role as an important hub between China and Europe. At the Budapest AI Summit earlier this month, leading Chinese AI companies, research institutes and universities took part, opening new opportunities for AI exchanges and cooperation between our two countries. Last week, the Hungarian side sent a delegation to the 5th Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou. Eleven Hungarian businesses as well as the Hungarian Innovation Agency participated in the event. I am confident that our two countries will achieve even greater results in emerging fields such as the digital economy and green trade.
The deep roots of China-Hungary friendship among our peoples are one of its distinctive hallmarks. In November last year, I visited Perkáta in Fejér County, which forged friendly ties with Huaxiang in Beijing as early as 1960, becoming the first Hungarian township to establish a sister relationship with a Chinese counterpart. More than six decades on, the two sides have preserved this longstanding friendship and maintained close exchanges, writing a new and inspiring chapter in the history of China-Hungary friendship. To this day, Perkáta still has a Beijing Road, while its Hungary-China Friendship Agricultural Company has been operating for more than 50 years. Mr. Oláh István, mayor of Perkáta, will soon lead a delegation to visit Beijing, to renew cooperation in the new era. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all friends who have supported and contributed to the China-Hungary friendship.
Looking back, the friendship between China and Hungary is deeply rooted in the mutual understanding and affinity between our peoples. Looking ahead, the greatest opportunities for our cooperation stem from our shared pursuit of development. Under the strategic guidance of our leaders, I am confident that China and Hungary will carry forward our traditional friendship, deepen political mutual trust and practical cooperation, strengthen people-to-people exchanges, and maintain close communication on international affairs. Together, we will keep our all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era strong and enduring, bringing greater benefits to our two peoples.
