It’s over! Chinese Fudan project is off the table, says Budapest mayor
Budapest’s leadership opposes the construction of a campus of China’s Fudan University in the city’s 9th district, Gergely Karácsony, the city’s mayor, told a press conference on Monday.
Karácsony and Krisztina Baranyi, the mayor of the 9th district, earlier in the day met László Palkovics, the minister of innovation and technology, for talks on the project.
Following talks with the minister, the city leadership can say it is “particularly” opposed to the construction of the campus, especially in the area meant to house a student quarter, Karácsony said.
The mayor described the meeting with Palkovics as “long and unproductive”. He said the government had so far been reluctant to share its plans for the university campus, but today it had been revealed that
it intends to spend more than 500 billion forints (EUR 1.4bn) in public funds on building an elite Chinese private university in the area of a planned student quarter, which would now have to be smaller as a result.
Karácsony noted that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had said on the night of the 2019 local government elections that the government accepted the outcome of the vote, and vowed not to launch any investment projects in Budapest which the city’s leadership opposed.
“This means that the Fudan project is off the table, because the city’s leadership doesn’t support it,” he said.
He said an agreement signed between the government and Budapest’s 9th district in December 2019 made no mention of the construction of a university, adding that the deal could only be amended if both sides agree to it.
Karácsony said that after the government “drove the Central European University out of the country”, it was “hard to believe” that it would openly welcome any of the world’s universities.
He said that until today, the leaders of neither Budapest nor the 9th district had participated in any meetings where Fudan University was ever mentioned, insisting that they had been “misled”. The metropolitan council strives for a fair working relationship with the government and honours all of their agreements, Karácsony said, adding that the government needed to understand that Budapest did not want to go against the December 2019 agreement.
The metropolitan council “will use all legal and political means at its disposal to ensure that the student quarter is built and Fudan isn’t”, he said.
Baranyi said Palkovics had asked for her and Karácsony’s approval for the Fudan campus to be built by “scrapping” the student quarter project. In response to a question, she said the size of the student quarter would now have to shrink from 26 hectares to a maximum of 7 hectares.
Baranyi added that the metropolitan council feared that while it would be prevented from holding local referendums on the matter due to the special legal order in place because of the pandemic, the government would sign the international treaties cementing the project. The metropolitan council has therefore decided to hold an “online consultation” with Budapesters, seeking their opinion on the construction of the Fudan University campus, she added.
Read alsoEven Fidesz supporters do not support the construction of the Chinese University of Budapest
Source: MTI
Comrade Commissar Karácsony has spoken !
All power to the E.U.-backed Marxist / Socialist Hungarian ‘sausage party’ opposition.
By the way, Comrade, a prison cell is reserved and waiting for you to occupy it prior to your ‘execution’ by a leftist mob.
No one wants a Chinese university. What’s the point. It’s all to do with money and corruption again, backhanders. If the government has that sort of money to spend then put it towards existing universities. No one trusts the Chinese. They’ll be monitoring everything that goes on inside that building, we all know that. You think China would allow another country to build a university inside their borders? Absolutely not. Their country is closed but they push their way into others.
It is very hard to to commend Karacsony for any of his actions. Socialism is as dangerous as communism. However, a Chinese University in Hungary is a scary thought. The Chinese government uses its universities for spying and stealing intellectual property. It is probable that the Chinese Embassy uses its members for the previously stated actions. Now they have one less place to make it easier for them to spy, etc..
I almost never agree with the current Mayor of Budapest but for once I can agree with him about something. The cancellation of this Chinese Center for spying and Indoctrination. It is not a good idea to allow anything sponsored by the Chinese Government into your country. It is even worse than Soro’s sponsored Central European University that thankfully was forced out of Hungary.
Fidesz supporters growing in numbers starting to see – get their heads around -understanding and accepting this deepening of relationship with China is a DANGEROUS political route for Hungary to pursue.
China its history post World War 11 but of greater ALARM BELLS to all – in the past decade clearly indicates their dismissive attitude to foreign policies and trade agreements when they have “squeezed” and “bought” their existence and presence into other countries.
No greater example is Australia in current time.
Iron Ore from Australia the Chinese can’t do without.
Australia is China’s major supplier of Iron Ore with Brazil a distant second incapable to mine and deliver to a port for shipment as is the case in Australia.
China has closed or restricted – by mass increase of tariffs – Wine as an example – on a number of Australian former export items to them.
China broke trade agreements because they didn’t at times of renegotiation get trade agreements written to their rule changes – benefiting them – and walked away – closed doors or introduced mass tariff increases.
China – history past and present – their way or no way and REMEMBER that China never Politically apologize – they are never to blame nor wear guilt of their actions and involvements – in situations that cause disruption of turmoil in the economies of other countries.
China needs Iron Ore from Australia to make its Steel and through Australia to its credit standing up to China with growing rapidly and Global support – the price of Iron Ore per tone is at all time record price levels – which is hitting the DEEP pockets of China – which they are instrumental for this to be the present export trade of Iron Ore situation.
Chinese – over past (5) five years number 1 – by clear daylight – the largest foreign investors in domestic property and warehouse facilities in Hungary.
Hungary – citizens of Hungary now is the time to peacefully show to this Government – enough is enough – no further “under the duna” arrangements with China.
National Elections May 2022 – peoples opportunity by the legal rights of Democracy to have a Voice by the use of Voting – take up this RIGHT and vote.