In Hungary, Xi Jinping and Viktor Orban display their strategic proximity

This is the last stop of his visit to Europe: on Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping was in Hungary, after visiting France and Serbia, thus concluding his first tour of the Old Continent since 2019.

The leader of the Asian superpower met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Oran. And the two men displayed a certain closeness, following a military ceremony, gala dinner and long discussions, notably within the official Budapest residence of Viktor Orban.

Exchanges during which they notably concluded partnerships with the announcement of new projects to build rail links, set up an oil pipeline between Hungary and Serbia or even cooperate in the nuclear sector. In total, 18 contracts were revealed. This stay of almost three days is an opportunity to “take our strategic partnership to new heights”said Xi Jinping, China having become the largest investor in Hungary last year. Indeed, everywhere in Hungary, battery and electric car factories are growing at an impressive speed, for investments of tens of billions of euros. Enough to arouse the concerns of the opposition which denounces the opacity surrounding contracts, the environmental impact of factories and corruption.

Viktor Orban welcomed the choice made by Xi Jinping to visit Paris and Budapest within the EU, which “shows the importance that Hungary is taking on the international scene”said his chief of staff Gergely Gulyas. For this visit qualified as“historical” by Budapest, the capital was also decked out in the colors of China, but above all under high security and the rare Tibetan flags displayed by demonstrators were carefully hidden from Xi Jinping's view.

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Of the “Sino-Hungarian relations at their peak”

“Chinese-Hungarian relations are at their peak” in 75 years of history, greeted the Chinese leader, highlighting the concern “independence” from Budapest. A nod to the go-it-alone strategy led by Viktor Orban within the EU. While scrambling with Brussels, the nationalist leader has resolutely turned towards the East in recent years. And when Brussels distanced itself from Beijing, it instead strengthened ties, rejecting the ideological confrontation of the “blocs”. The Chinese president also called on Hungary, which will preside over the EU in the second half of the year, to play “ a more important role ” in the ” development » China-European Union relations.

Beijing and Budapest are, moreover, on the same wavelength regarding the war in Ukraine, pleading for a peaceful settlement while remaining close to the Kremlin. Hungary, “lonely voice” faced with the war fever agitating the EU according to Viktor Orban, thus “thanked China for its efforts to promote peace in the region”.

For its part, the EU denounces Beijing's position on the subject. Calling for a peace solution, the Chinese authorities, who officially say they are neutral, have never condemned the Russian invasion. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also due to visit China in May. NATO even accuses the country of “supporting Russia’s war economy” by sharing cutting-edge technologies that can be used to produce missiles, tanks and planes, according to the organization's head, Jens Stoltenberg, in late April. “China says it wants to maintain good relations with the West. At the same time, Beijing continues to fuel the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.he declared during a speech at an awards ceremony in Berlin on transatlantic ties. “They can’t have it both ways”he concluded.

Emmanuel Macron calls for a “coordination” on the “major crises”

A subject which was also discussed with the French president during his Chinese counterpart's visit to Paris at the start of the week. Welcomed Monday under the gold of the Elysée, Xi Jinping had discussions “French” with Emmanuel Macron who thus hammered home that the “coordination” with Beijing on “major crises” in Ukraine and the Middle East is “absolutely decisive”. The Head of State was accompanied by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, like five years ago and last year in China, thus displaying a united continental front.

The EU and France are counting on China to “use all its influence on Russia” to end the conflict, said Ursula von der Leyen. With Emmanuel Macron, she also called on the Chinese president to do “more efforts to limit the delivery to Russia of dual equipment (editor’s note: which can be used for civil and military purposes) which ends up on the battlefield” in Ukraine. She further said “trust” on the fact that Beijing would continue to temper Russian nuclear threats, while Moscow, at the same time, ordered the upcoming holding of nuclear exercises.

For his part, Xi Jinping made reassuring remarks on this subject. Wishing the return of “peace and stability” in Europe, he assured in a column published in Le Figaro to want “work with France and the entire international community to find good avenues to resolve the crisis” in Ukraine.

The EU once again denounces the “unfair trade” from China

Another essential subject for France, but especially Europe: the trade disputes between the latter and China. The boss of the Brussels executive has, in fact, asked Beijing for a “equal access to markets”. Before the meeting, she insisted that Europe could not “not accept” THE “unfair trade” caused by the influx of electric vehicles or Chinese steel made using “massive subsidies”. Subsidies against which Europe has launched a series of investigations. And the EU “will not hesitate to make firm decisions” if necessary for “protect your economy and security”warned Ursula Von der Leyen in front of journalists, after the meeting.

Chinese subsidies: EU launches new investigation, this time against wind turbine manufacturers

Measures judged “protectionists”by China and against which the authorities launched a response by carrying out their own anti-subsidy investigation mainly targeting French cognac. In the presence of the cameras, Xi Jinping only pleaded for China and the EU to strengthen their “strategic coordination” and remain ” partners “.

But a press release from Chinese diplomacy published subsequently indicated that the number one of the Asian superpower explained to Emmanuel Macron and Ursula von der Leyen that “The so-called 'China overcapacity problem' does not exist, either from the perspective of comparative advantage or in light of global demand”. According to the text, “China’s new energy industry” on the contrary has interests since it allows “to increase global supply and alleviate global inflation pressure”.