On July 12, 2019 local time, after holding talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto of Hungary in Budapest, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the press that the Chinese side is willing to work with friends from Central and Eastern Europe to make cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) an example of regional cooperation which spans different regions, advocates win-win cooperation, safeguards multilateralism and copes with common challenges.

Wang Yi said, the all-round, multi-tiered and wide-ranging cooperation platform between China and CEEC has been built, which has achieved comprehensive and rapid development. It is because such cooperation has met bilateral development needs, and always upheld equality, openness, pragmatism, innovation and win-win concept, which opens a new way of cooperation between China and Europe and is conducive to promoting integral and balanced development of Europe. The cooperation mechanism, as an important component of China-Europe cooperation, is being understood and supported by European countries and has become an important link for the Belt and Road Initiative to integrate into the European economic circle.

Wang Yi stressed, the Chinese side will host the China-CEEC Summit next year, and China-CEEC cooperation will be held again in China after five years. We are willing to take this opportunity to work out plans for the future with friends from Central and Eastern Europe, push China-CEEC cooperation for improvement and upgrading, take it to a new level and inject new connotations into it so as to break new ground.

Peter Szijjarto noted, Hungary highly values CEEC-China cooperation, and believes that this cooperation platform not only completely conforms to the common interests of both the Hungarian side and the Chinese side but also the interests of CEEC and other European countries. Any country has the right to conduct mutually beneficial and friendly cooperation with other countries based on the interests of its own country and the region. The doubt that this cooperation is splitting Europe is not only a slander but also a production of double standards. The desire of CEEC to develop cooperation with China should be respected. The Hungarian side is willing to continue to take an active part in CEEC-China cooperation and play a constructive role in this regard.