On 24 August, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjártóin in Beihai, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Wang said that Foreign Minister Szijjártóin, as the first foreign minister of an EU country to visit China after the COVID-19 outbreak in Europe, has once again put Hungary at the forefront in the exchanges between China and EU countries. This demonstrates not only the strength and resilience of China-Hungary relations, but also the keen desire of both sides to accelerate cooperation.

China appreciates Hungary’s just position on issues involving China’s core interests and legitimate concerns. China will continue to increase strategic trust with Hungary, and in the context of the long-term fight against COVID-19, step up containment measures, resume normal personnel exchanges in an orderly manner, deepen Belt and Road cooperation, and expand cultural and educational exchanges between the two countries. It is important for both countries to stand on the right side of history, on the side of fairness and justice, and bring China-Hungary comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights.

Wang said that China attaches great importance to and stands ready to actively grow its relations with the EU. China supports the EU in strengthening its strategic independence. In face of the resurgence of unilateral bullying acts, China and the EU, as two major forces in the world, must work harder to safeguard multilateralism and uphold the international system centered around international law. Both sides need to make good preparations for the high-level exchanges in the second half of this year, work to conclude the negotiations of the China-EU investment agreement within the year, advance dialogue and cooperation in such fields as climate change, green development and digital economy, and enhance communication and coordination in international affairs. The two sides should work together to make the China-EU relationship more stable and mature and bring it to a higher level in the post-COVID-19 era.

Szijjártóin said that Hungary highly commends China for bringing the virus under control in such a short time, and appreciates China’s strong support for Hungary’s procurement of large amount of medical supplies from China. Hungary opposes interference in China’s internal affairs. Hungary is willing to work with China to overcome the impact of COVID-19, resume bilateral political, economic and cultural cooperation, hold the Belt and Road working group meeting at an appropriate time, and deepen cooperation in food, science, technology, finance, education and tourism. Hungary supports the establishment of a Chinese culture center in Hungary and looks forward to attending the third China International Import Expo. Hungary fully supports multilateral cooperation, and supports China’s candidature in relevant international organizations. Hungary will continue to play a constructive role in promoting EU-China relations, and serve as a bridge for cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries and between China and the EU.

The two foreign ministers signed the Work Plan on Cultural Cooperation Between the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China and the Ministry of Human Capacities of Hungary for the Period 2020-2024.