China's Xi Jinping in Hungary to discuss Ukraine, infrastructure
Xi Jinping is due to meet Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday, with the war in Ukraine and infrastructure projects high on the agenda, as he makes his third stop on his first European tour in five years.
Xi, who arrived in Budapest late on Wednesday, can expect a warm welcome in a country that is an important partner in trade and investment, in contrast with other EU nations that are considering diversifying from China and becoming less dependent on the world's second-largest economy.
Xi has «developed deep friendships» with Hungarian politicians and Hungary was «the number one target in the central eastern European region for Chinese investment», Xi wrote in pro-government daily Magyar Nemzet on Wednesday.
Xi arrived in Hungary after visiting France and Serbia. In Paris, President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen pressed him to ensure more balanced trade with Europe and use his influence on Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine will be high on the agenda during the talks in Budapest as well, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said at a briefing earlier in the week.
Hungary and China, which mark their 75th year of diplomatic relations, are also expected to sign 16 to 18 new cooperation agreements, one of which could be a large-scale infrastructure project within China's huge Belt and Road project, the minister added.
Similarly to Serbia, Hungary is a supporter of China's Belt and Road Initiative, an ambitious
