The Chinese security minister who visited Budapest hopes that the countries will be able to intensify their cooperation in security and law enforcement.
China has offered Hungary support in matters related to security.
Minister responsible for China’s police force and civil security Wang Xiaohong met the Hungarian Prime Minister in Budapest last week Viktor Orban and told that Beijing wants to intensify cooperation in the field of security.
The Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported on the meeting on Monday.
The offer of security cooperation is exceptional, because traditionally China’s foreign policy in Europe has focused on promoting trade.
According to Minister Wang, cooperation between Hungary and China in law enforcement and the fight against terrorism would, if realized, be a “highlight in the bilateral relations between the two countries”.
During his visit, Wang also met the Minister of the Interior of Hungary By Sandor Pinter and the parties signed cooperation agreements, Xinhua reported.
The news agency did not say in more detail what exactly the parties agreed on.
Hungary turned towards China
China’s aid offer to Hungary comes at the same time as Budapest has been trying to reduce its dependence on Western institutions such as the EU and NATO.
Together with Turkey, Hungary has slowed down the expansion of NATO and at this moment it is the only member country of the military alliance that has not ratified Sweden as a new member.
Relations between China and NATO have tightened since the military alliance in 2022 publicly named China as a security challenge for the first time.
China’s top management has avoided openly criticizing the Western military alliance, but the country’s state media has characterized NATO as a threat to peace and stability.
In Europe, the economic and partly political decline of China and Hungary has been going on for a long time.
In recent years, Hungary has received significant investments from China, e.g. in the field of the battery industry, at the same time as the EU tried to get its member states to be even more critical of China’s economic diplomacy.
In its foreign policy, Hungary has attracted attention in Europe by opposing support for Ukraine and by not signing EU statements criticizing China’s human rights situation.
Source: Reuters