Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said that talks with China are much more "cheerful" and pleasant than those with Brussels, because their philosophical thinking focuses on an attempt to reach harmony, whereas western thinking focuses on the aspiration of freedom.
Commenting on his recent visit to Beijing, the prime minister said the role of China in the global economy is to grow considerably in the coming decades. It is “excellent news” that Hungary was among one of the countries to be a part of this, PM Orbán said. Hungary’s situation is easier now than before because its finances are in order, he added.
PM Orbán said what’s most important is that Hungarian goods should be able to reach Chinese markets without restrictions. Peter Szijjarto, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and his team “have done a fantastic job” in this respect and Hungary is now in a prestigious position in terms of Chinese export licences, the prime minister added.
“For us Hungarians the most important thing is that we can sell our goods not only to the West but also to the East. We are safe if there is excess demand for Hungarian agricultural products," he said.
He cited some “flagship” Chinese projects in Hungary, such as the regional hub of the Bank of China, a Huawei distribution center and China’s regional tourism center.
The prime minister made the remarks during his regular radio show on radio Kossuth, where he said Hungary's economic policy must be protected in 2018 to ensure the nation continues its upward trend.
The prime minister said that if this is realized economic growth could exceed 5 percent by around 2020.
The prime minister also called the resolution adopted by the European Parliament condemning Hungary earlier this week a product of a “flawed policy”, adding that the document was actually a “Soros report”. Hungary’s economic policy based on wage increases and low taxes will have to be protected in next year’s elections, PM Orbán said.
The prime minister attributed the “attacks being carried out against Hungary” to migration, arguing that there is a community of interests in Europe that aims to bring hundreds of thousands of migrants to the continent each year.