An earlier photo of talks between the Hungarian and Chinese delegation, with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (left side) and Chinese President Xi Jinping
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó held a video talk with the Chinese Foreign Minister on Tuesday. Szijjártó said that the past eight years of Hungarian-Chinese cooperation can be described as a clear success story.
In a Facebook post, Péter Szijjártó wrote that he and Wang Yi had known each other for more than eight years, and such long working relationships are relatively rare in today’s world politics. “We have always understood each other well, we have always negotiated on the basis of mutual respect,” the Hungarian minister said.
He stressed that
Hungary has now become the number one investment destination for Chinese companies in Central Europe, which will help Hungary avoid the recession that is hitting the European economy.
The minister added that the investment in Debrecen, in eastern Hungary, by the world’s largest electric battery manufacturer will help the Hungarian economy to remain on a growth path in the long term. In the largest ever investment in Hungary, worth some HUF 3000 billion (EUR 7.4 billion), China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) will directly create 9,000 new jobs in Debrecen.
In his post, Szijjártó also referred to the relationship between the European Union and China, saying that they are trying to put the relationship back on the path of partnership instead of failed sanctions. The Foreign Minister has already warned earlier that the breakdown of economic cooperation between the two sides could have tragic consequences. “We urge that the investment agreement between China and the EU should enter into force as soon as possible”, he underlined.
Finally, Szijjártó said that his Chinese counterpart has done a lot to improve Hungarian-Chinese relations and he is grateful to him, as Hungary has benefited a lot from this.
Featured photo via MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Szecsõdi Balázs