Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Monday vowed to expand China's mutually beneficial cooperation and people-to-people exchanges with Hungary, and described Hungary as China's good friend and partner. 

Qin made the remarks while meeting with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto in Beijing. 

China will continue to plan bilateral relations with Hungary from a strategic stance and a long-term perspective, Qin told the Hungarian diplomat.

He said China is willing to work with Hungary to maintain high-level contacts, deepen strategic mutual trust, firmly support each other's core interests and major concerns, and jointly address various risks and challenges.

Hungary is the guest country of honor for the third China-Central & Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Expo in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province.

Qin said a delegation led by Szijjarto to attend the opening ceremony of the expo fully reflects Hungary's support for the China-CEEC cooperation and the importance it attaches to the China-Hungary relations.

Qin also expressed hope that the European Union (EU) can adopt an objective and correct perception of China, and continue pursuing a proactive and pragmatic policy towards China.

Szijjarto hailed the deepening of the Hungary-China relationship on all fronts over years. Hungary sees China as a strategic cooperative partner that shares important development opportunities, he said, adding that his country welcomes investment from China and opposes decoupling from China.

Hungary would like to promote practical cooperation with China on all fronts, and will resolutely support the advancement of China-CEEC cooperation and EU-China relations, said Szijjarto.

The two ministers also exchanged in-depth views on issues including the Ukraine crisis.

(CGTN's Wang Siwen contributed to this story.)

(Cover: Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang (R) shakes hands with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto in Beijing, China, May 15, 2023. /CGTN)