Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Beijing on October 15 to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported.
According to the Hungarian leader's office, Mr. Orban will be in Beijing from October 16-18 to attend the above-mentioned international conference and hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation is scheduled to take place on October 17-18, marking the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) - a concept first proposed by Xi Jinping in 2013 that aims to symbolically recreate the ancient Silk Road that connected China to markets in Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and other parts of the world.
Representatives and leaders from more than 130 countries are expected to attend the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A spokesman for the Hungarian prime minister did not say whether Mr Orban would meet Mr Putin in China. Since Moscow launched its military campaign in Ukraine, there has been extremely little diplomatic contact between Russia and the West, including the EU, especially at the highest levels.
The 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation will be held on October 17-18, 2023, marking the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) initiated by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Photo: Invest in China
Responding to a question from the Russian state news agency TASS, the Hungarian Prime Minister's spokesman said only: "Next Wednesday (October 18), the Prime Minister will participate in the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, where he will deliver a speech. Before that, on Monday (October 16) and Tuesday (October 17), he is expected to have bilateral talks with Chinese leaders: first with the head of the Chinese government and then with the head of state."
Mr Orban is expected to be the only Western leader to attend the event in Beijing. In recent years, Hungary has been actively promoting economic cooperation between the EU and China, and sees itself as a bridge between East and West. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has repeatedly stated that Hungary was the first European Union (EU) country to join the BRI in 2015.
The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on infrastructure development under the BRI, which includes funding for a Chinese-built railway connecting Hungary with Serbia.
Hungary is also home to Huawei Technologies Co.’s largest supply base outside China, despite U.S. pressure to ban the tech company.
Last year, Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. announced it was building a €7 billion ($7.5 billion) battery factory in Debrecen, eastern Hungary .
Minh Duc (According to TASS, Xinhua)
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