The President of Hungary received the Head of State of China on an official visit

President of Hungary Tamás Sulyok, accompanied by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, welcomed the President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping with military honours in the Lion Courtyard of Buda Castle. During the official welcoming ceremony, after the salute performed by the Battalion of Honour of the Hungarian Defence Forces, the Count Ferenc Nádasdy Hussar Division and the National Equestrian Unit of Honour, followed by the national anthems of the two countries, Hungary's Head of State and the President of China mutually presented the members of their negotiating delegations to each other.

Tamás Sulyok and Xi Jinping held official talks on strengthening cooperation between the two countries at Sándor Palace, noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Hungary and China, the cornerstone of which is mutual respect and trust between the two countries. The Chinese President also quoted a Hungarian proverb: "Bajban ismerszik meg a barát” which translates into English as „ A friend in need is a friend indeed”. In this context, Tamás Sulyok quoted from Hungary's Fundamental Law, which states, "We respect the freedom and culture of other peoples, and shall strive to cooperate with all nations of the world."

Over the past decade and a half, Hungarian-Chinese cooperation has intensified in fields including the economy, trade, culture, education and science, and one of the key milestones of this process has been the elevation of the two countries' relations to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2017. In recent years, the dynamics of bilateral relations have continued to develop, and with Xi Jinping's current visit to Budapest, this dynamics reaches a new level of comprehensive strategic partnership.

Tamás Sulyok, President of Hungary, stressed that Hungary sees not a threat but an opportunity in East-West cooperation, and therefore Hungary remains ready to act as a bridge between the economic actors of the East and the West. As part of this, Hungary is participating in China's One Belt, One Road initiative, and as a result of this cooperation, Hungarian citizens can now also benefit from the Chinese visa waiver programme.

The Hungarian Head of State agreed that the security situation in many parts of the world is unfortunately becoming increasingly serious. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that both Hungary and China have an interest in the peaceful resolution of global conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, which is currently taking place in Hungary’s neighbourhood. China’s commitment to a settlement, the fact that it is also playing a mediating role, and has developed a peace proposal, is an influential position. In its capacity as a permanent member of the UN Security Council as well, the People's Republic of China can play an important role in promoting the Russian-Ukrainian peace process.

President Xi Jinping expressed gratitude for the very warm welcome and the expressions of sincere friendship. The Chinese leader wished Hungary every success in its Presidency of the Council of the European Union, expressing his hope for deepening relations and promoting pragmatic cooperation.

During the meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping invited President Tamás Sulyok to pay an official visit to Beijing.
The President of Hungary accepted the invitation.

During the bilateral talks between the two Heads of State, Peng Liyuan, the spouse of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Zsuzsanna Nagy, the spouse of the President of Hungary, attended a cultural programme together at the St. Stephen Hall of the Buda Castle.