Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbn hailed China as a key power in promoting peace in Ukraine during a visit to Beijing, the latest in a series of high-level diplomatic trips after surprise trips to kyiv and Moscow last week that angered EU and NATO allies.
Orbn landed in the Chinese capital on Monday for what it called a Peace Mission 3.0 in a job on social media platform X. The Hungarian prime minister, whose country took over the rotating EU presidency last week, has made seeking a possible end to the war in Ukraine a major goal.
At the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in China, Orbn hailed its hosts as an important stabilizing force in the world.
China not only loves peace but has also proposed a series of constructive and important initiatives, he told President Xi Jinping, according to Chinese state media. China has presented a position paper on a political settlement of the war in Ukraine, which Western powers have rejected as compromised by Beijing's support for Moscow.
Xi praised Orban's efforts and called on world powers to support the resumption of direct dialogue between Russia and Ukraine. A ceasefire can be achieved soon only if all major powers exert positive rather than negative influence, Xi said.
Under Orbn’s leadership, Hungary has forged friendly ties with China, becoming a destination of choice for Chinese companies seeking to enter Europe. Orbn’s embrace of Beijing has also made it a key entry point for Chinese officials into European politics.
In May, Xi Jinping visited Budapest, where he praised the country's independent foreign policy and improved bilateral relations. Orban's criticism of the EU's recent tariffs on Chinese car imports was also warmly received by Beijing.
Hungary has held the rotating EU presidency for six months and Orbn has tried to get involved in efforts to end the war in Ukraine. He met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Friday, days after making a surprise visit to kyiv.
Ukrainian President Andriy Yermak told reporters on Monday that Orbn had not notified President Volodymyr Zelensky in advance about his trip to Moscow. kyiv learned about it from the media, Yermak said.
Orban's overtures to Russia and China have dismayed other EU leaders, who warned last week that he was not representing the EU when he met Putin.
The EU presidency has little influence on foreign affairs, which are handled by the two blocs' top diplomat, Josep Borrell, and European Council President Charles Michel. The role does not involve any external representation of the Union, Borrell said. said last week.
Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, said the Kremlin had not given Orbn a message to convey to Western leaders ahead of this week's NATO summit in Washington, but said the Russian president highly appreciated Orbn's efforts.
There are a number of serious disagreements between the interested parties, but Mr. Orbn is making a very serious effort to understand their nature, Mr. Peskov told reporters on Monday, according to Interfax.
Xi nevertheless congratulated Hungary on assuming the EU presidency and expressed hope that Orbn could play a positive role in promoting healthy and stable development and constructive interaction in China-EU relations.
Jorge Toledo, the EU ambassador to China, made clear over the weekend that relations between the bloc and China remained tense, however.
Speaking at Tsinghua University in Beijing, Toledo said it was very disappointing that China did not attend a peace conference on Ukraine in Switzerland last month.
Not participating in Geneva activities harms China's image, Toledo said, according to a Tsinghua transcript.
Additional reporting by Wenjie Ding in Beijing, Christopher Miller in kyiv and Raphael Minder in Warsaw
