Details of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Budapest revealed – UPDATE

The Chinese president Xi Jinping’s visit to Hungary later this week is of historic importance and will significantly contribute to strengthening Hungary, developing bilateral economic and trade relations, and, hopefully, to the success of peace efforts, Peter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said in Budapest on Monday.

Answering a question at a joint press conference with his Armenian counterpart, Szijjártó said that, as he heads a large delegation, President Xi Jinping will visit only two EU member states: Hungary and France. Members of Xi’s delegation include Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Finance Minister Lan Foan, Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao, as well as Zheng Shanjie, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), and Yu Jianhua, Director of the General Administration of Customs.

One of the main topics of the Chinese president’s talks will be further developing bilateral economic cooperation, Szijjártó said, noting that China had brought the most FDI to Hungary in 2020 and 2023. Thanks in part to those investments, he said, Hungary now ranked among the global frontrunners of the “automotive industry’s technological revolution.”

He said talks were ongoing with leading Chinese companies on further investments, while calling it “fake news” that the Chinese President Xi Jinping’s agenda included visiting the city of Pecs.

Szijjártó said that

during the Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit, 16 agreements will be signed while another two were under consultations.

He highlighted a planned agreement on potential infrastructure upgrades linked to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

• Read also – Unexpected: President Xi will announce colossal Chinese carmaking plant near Hungarian city

The minister underlined the importance of a bilateral partnership covering the entire nuclear energy spectrum. He said it was hoped that further progress would also be achieved in bilateral trade relations by expanding the export possibilities of high-quality Hungarian agricultural products to China.

Boosting ties in tourism will also be on the agenda, which Szijjártó said could be greatly helped by the fact that Hungary is an absolute record holder in the region with 19 direct flights to be operated weekly to China from July.

He said,

“We would also like the visa waiver granted to Hungarian citizens to remain in place for a longer period of time.”

The war in Ukraine and the peace plan prepared by China will also feature high on the agenda of talks, Szijjártó said, adding that Hungary welcomed the peace plan “first of all because it exists and also because it is about peace”.

“China is unquestionably one of the strongest states in the pro-peace camp that keeps emphasising the importance of peace,”

Szijjártó said. “There is full consensus between us on this matter, which is why the possibility of creating peace will be an important topic on the agenda of talks.”

As we wrote earlier, the Chinese would build their own superhighway between Budapest Airport and the city center, details HERE.

UPDATE

LATEST – Chinese President Xi Jinping will arrive in Budapest soon, these will be the main topics of his visit