Chinese Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban last week (file photo)
Beijing:
In a rare meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, China offered to support long-term strategic partner Hungary on public security issues, rather than just trade and investment ties, at a time when Nato is working to expand its network in Europe.
Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong told Orban last week that China hopes to deepen law enforcement and security ties with Hungary on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
During his visit to Budapest, Wang Yi said he hoped these efforts would become “a new highlight in bilateral relations” in areas such as combating terrorism and transnational crime.
They also include building security and law enforcement capabilities under President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to connect China to the world through trade and infrastructure links.
Wang Yi also met with Interior Minister Sandor Pinter and signed a law enforcement and security cooperation document, Xinhua news agency said on Sunday, without giving details.
China’s security guarantees come as Russia’s ally Hungary, which has spent the past decade under Orban trying to reduce its reliance on Western countries, recently resisted pressure to approve NATO expansion in Europe.
Hungary is the only NATO country that has not yet approved Sweden’s application to join the security bloc.
China has been critical of NATO, especially after the organization said last year that Beijing challenged its interests, security and values with its “ambitions and coercive policies.”
Chinese state media has called NATO a “serious” challenge to global peace and stability.
The security pact with Hungary represents a diplomatic victory for China in the European Union as the bloc weighs its differences with the world’s second-largest economy over issues including human rights, trade imbalances and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Central European country’s growing affinity with Beijing has created rifts in the EU’s collective front.
Although the EU has called on member states to align relations with China with the EU, Hungary has repeatedly sided with or opposed the EU’s stance on criticizing China on issues such as human rights and welcomed Chinese investment.
Hungary is home to Huawei Technologies’ largest logistics and manufacturing base outside China, despite warnings from the European Commission that the telecoms giant poses a risk to EU security.
Since 2016, Huawei has collaborated with Shanghai-based artificial intelligence company Yitu Technology to develop smart city solutions that enhance public safety and policing through artificial intelligence and surveillance.
Hungary will soon be home to Chinese carmaker BYD’s first European factory.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
