Xi Jinping arrives in Hungary to discuss war in Ukraine in particular

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has arrived in Hungary, where he will meet with its Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Thursday, 9 May as part of his first European tour in the last five years.

As reported by Reuters, the agenda for Xi's visit will include discussions on the war in Ukraine and infrastructure projects between Beijing and Budapest.

Hungary is an important partner for China in trade and investment, unlike other EU countries that are considering reducing their dependence on the world's second-largest economy.

Furthermore, the relationship between Budapest and Beijing extends beyond trade and investment, as in February China offered Hungary cooperation on public security and law enforcement issues.

Orbán began working on bringing his country closer to Beijing immediately after coming to power in 2010. The warm political relationship eventually turned into investments after about 10 years when battery and electric vehicle manufacturers started locating production facilities in Hungary.

CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology), one of the largest investors, is constructing a €7.3 billion battery factory in Debrecen, and the Chinese electric car maker BYD announced at the end of 2023 that it was building its first European plant in the city of Szeged.

Ahead of his visit to Hungary this week, Xi Jinping published an article in the pro-government Hungarian media describing the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary in uplifting tones.

At the end of last week, the Chinese leader began his multi-day tour of European countries. After France, he paid a state visit to Serbia. This is his first visit to the continent since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

As reported, Hungary plans to sign at least 16 agreements with China during Xi Jinping's three-day visit. 

Meanwhile, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has denied information that Xi may travel to the southern city of Pecs to announce investments by the Chinese car manufacturer Great Wall Motor.