On May 9, during a visit to Hungary, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced an upgrade to their current relations.
“We are willing to take this as a new starting point to push bilateral relations and pragmatic cooperation into a golden channel and move towards a higher level,” Xi said.
Several new economic projects were announced between the two countries, including new oil pipelines, railways, and greater nuclear energy cooperation.
This stop for President Xi comes after a several-day trip to several European nations – most notably France, which is eager to increase European partnerships with China in order to decrease EU dependence on the United States.
“I would like to assure the president that Hungary will continue to provide fair conditions for Chinese companies investing in our country… We will create the opportunity for the most modern Western and the most modern Eastern technologies to meet and build cooperation in Hungary,” Prime Minister Orban stated.
Hungary is set to take over the rotating EU chairmanship later this year from Belgium.
