Photo: Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Fischer Zoltán
Eurasia
08/05/2024 10:45
Xi Jinping arrived in Serbia on Tuesday evening. The date of the visit is significant because on 7 May 1999, when NATO had been bombing the then Yugoslavia for a month and a half, the Chinese embassy in Belgrade was hit, killing three journalists and injuring 20 other Chinese citizens. Beijing was outraged and demanded an explanation, while NATO called the incident an accident, Hungarian news agency MTI recalled.
In an opinion piece published in the Belgrade daily Politika on Tuesday, the Chinese president said that "the friendship between China and Serbia, soaked in the blood of the two peoples, has become a common memory of the two peoples and will inspire both sides to take great steps forward together".
The Chinese president was received by President Aleksandar Vucic on Tuesday and the two leaders are scheduled to discuss billions of dollars in Chinese investments and new cooperation opportunities, with the delegation expected to sign some 30 bilateral agreements later today.
Xi Jinping will arrive in Budapest this evening. On this occasion, the Chinese President has published an opinion piece in the Hungarian media, following the French and Serbian press.
"Although our two countries are geographically far apart, our two peoples have been friends for centuries," he wrote in his article for daily Magyar Nemzet.
"During my upcoming visit, I hope to work together with Hungarian leaders to renew China-Hungary traditional friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and take the China-Hungary comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights," Xi Jinping wrote, who summarised what is needed to succeed in five points.
1. Our two countries need to carry forward our tradition of friendship and strengthen the political foundations of bilateral relationship. Stronger political mutual trust is the cornerstone of rapid and steady development of China-Hungary relations. (...)
2. Our two countries need to forge greater synergy in development strategies and strive for new highlights in practical cooperation. (...)
3. Our two countries need to expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges and cement public support for bilateral relations. (...)
4. Our two countries need to lead regional cooperation and keep to the right direction of China-Europe relations. (...)
5. Our two countries need to enhance communication on international affairs and join hands to address global challenges. (...)
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Government spokeswoman Eszter Vitályos said at a press conference on Tuesday that Xi Jinping will pay a "historic diplomatic visit" to Hungary between 8 and 10 May at the invitation of President Tamás Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.The visit is also of historical significance because the last time the Chinese head of state visited Hungary was 20 years ago, in 2004. And the head of state and his delegation will visit only two EU member states during his European visit, Hungary and France, she pointed out.
Xi Jinping will meet Tamás Sulyok on Thursday, after which ministers from the two countries will sign agreements. The spokeswoman also said that about a dozen and a half agreements are expected to be signed during the visit, with further agreements still under discussion. She highlighted one that includes possible infrastructure developments in Hungary related to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). These could include rail, road and energy projects, she noted.
