After Paris and Belgrade, Chinese President Xi Jinping salutes this Thursday, May 9 in Budapest the strength of the ties uniting his country with Hungary. On the menu for the last stage of his European tour: flourishing economic cooperation and convergence of views on the Russian offensive in Ukraine.
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For this visit described as “historic” by Budapest, the capital decked out in the colors of the China was placed under high security. In the surrounding streets, a handful of protesters had donned the costume of Winnie the Pooh, the Chinese leader often being mocked for his physical resemblance, according to some, to the famous honey-loving cartoon character.
After 75 years of history, “ Sino-Hungarian relations are at their peak », welcomed Xi Jinping, according to a report from Chinese authorities. Before his arrival, he had compared them to a “ golden cruise », in a column published by the newspaper favorable to power Magyar Nemzet.
“ We challenged the geopolitical order together in an unstable international context “, charting our path” of sovereign states in complete independence “, he wrote. A nod to the go-it-alone strategy led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban within theEuropean Union. While scrambling with Brussels, the nationalist leader has resolutely turned eastward in recent years. When Brussels distanced itself from Beijing, it on the contrary strengthened ties, rejecting the ideological confrontation of the “blocs”.
The signing of sixteen agreements announced
This stay of almost three days is an opportunity to “ take our strategic partnership to new heights “, estimated the Chinese head of state, from cultural exchanges to economic cooperation, while the Asian superpower has become the leading investor in Hungary in 2023.
For Viktor Orban, it is a diplomatic success. The choice made by Xi Jinping to visit Paris and Budapest within the European Union (EU) “ shows the importance that Hungary is taking on the international scene », greeted his chief of staff Gergely Gulyas.
Budapest has already announced the signing of at least sixteen agreements, in rail and road infrastructure, nuclear energy and even automobiles.
Across the country, battery and electric car factories are growing at an impressive speed, requiring investments of tens of billions of euros. Enough to arouse the concerns of the opposition which denounces the opacity surrounding contracts, the environmental impact of factories and corruption, enriching constructions, according to it, ” Orban’s circle “.
Read alsoHungary dreams of being a bridgehead for Chinese electric vehicles
Message to the European Union
Welcomed Monday under the gold of the Élysée in Paris, Xi Jinping had discussions “ francs » with the French president Emmanuel Macron on China-Europe trade disputes or even Beijing-Moscow links, viewed with suspicion by Europeans against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.
Read alsoXi Jinping in France: what to remember from the first day of the Chinese president’s state visit
But during this final Hungarian stage, the media were kept away and angry subjects were not discussed. Beijing and Budapest are on the same page, advocating for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine while remaining close to the Kremlin.
Xi Jinping likes to highlight this European ally, his visit “ symbolizing China’s efforts to establish a dissenting voice in talks with the EU and weaken the bloc’s unity », Estimates Claus Soong, analyst at the Mercator Institute based in Berlin.
After a military parade alongside the Hungarian head of state Tamas Sulyok, the PRC number one met at the Carmelite monastery, the Prime Minister’s residence, to meet Viktor Orban and make a statement to the press.
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