Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met Wang Xiaohong, China’s minister of public security, in his office in Budapest late last week.
According to MTI, PM Orbán said ties between Hungary and China were based on respect, “an otherwise dwindling commodity in international diplomacy”. Further cooperation will be based on the long-standing friendship between the two countries, he added. Wang highlighted the bilateral ties between the two countries, adding that Orbán is a regular participant at forums of the Belt and Road Initiative. Orbán and Wang also highlighted the importance of security and stability as a baseline for the development of economic and trade ties, Havasi said. Meanwhile, a China-Hungary law enforcement summit was held in Budapest on Friday, with Sándor Pintér, the interior minister, holding talks with Wang Xiaohong. Wang, a State Councillor of the People’s Republic of China, is making his first official visit abroad after the Chinese New Year to Hungary, the ministry noted in a statement. Pintér told his Chinese partner that bilateral cooperation was made possible “by the guarantee of security and stability, which are essential for further developing comprehensive strategic cooperation”, the statement said. Wang’s visit heralded “an important step in furthering relations” between China’s public security ministry and Hungary’s interior ministry, it added. Agreements on enhancing cooperation in law enforcement and joint patrols were signed. Also, Wang was briefed about the structure and capabilities of Hungary’s counter-terrorism force and he viewed the construction of the China-backed Budapest-Belgrade railway line.