Hungary Plans to Sign at Least 16 Agreements with China During Xi Jinping's Visit
Hungary intends to sign no fewer than 16 agreements with China during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping, which is set to commence on Wednesday, May 8. This was reported by Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Péter Szijjártó, as per the Hungarian publication Economx.
Overall, the countries plan to finalize 18 agreements, although two of them are still in the negotiation phase. If these documents are not finalized and concluded by the end of Xi Jinping's visit on May 10, they will be signed later at the ministerial level.
The main focus of all these agreements is on expanding Hungary's participation in the "Belt and Road Initiative," which includes the development of railway, automotive, and energy projects. Discussions are also planned on potential cooperation between Hungary and China in the nuclear sector.
Péter Szijjártó also refuted previous information about the Chinese leader's planned visit to the southern Hungarian city of Pécs to announce investments by the Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor and the potential construction of a new automotive plant in the city. He also announced that the Chinese delegation accompanying Xi will include ministers of foreign affairs, finance, and trade.
According to Hungarian Parliament member Gergely Gulyás, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán aims to strengthen economic ties with China, including expanding Hungary's involvement in the "Belt and Road Initiative" and involving China in financing a new oil pipeline connecting Hungary and Serbia.
Following Hungary, Xi Jinping's next stop on his itinerary will be Serbia, where he plans to meet with President Aleksandar Vučić. The main purpose of the meeting will be to "exchange views on bilateral relations and discuss the modernization of Chinese-Serbian relations."
As reported, on May 4, Vučić emphasized that China is the "best partner of Serbia in achieving national goals" and reiterated his position regarding Taiwan, which he considers a part of China.
Recall that on May 5, the Chinese leader arrived in France, where he met with President Emmanuel Macron. This trip marked his first visit to Europe in five years. During the meeting, they supported the idea of ceasefires in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan during the Olympic Games in Paris. Macron also announced that China would refrain from selling arms to Russia following the meeting with Xi Jinping.
The Chinese leader had previously expressed a desire to cooperate with France and the international community to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, calling it a "crisis settlement."