China, Hungary elevate ties to an 'all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era'

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday issued a joint statement on the establishment of an "all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era."

The two sides agreed to actively use bilateral and multilateral occasions to hold meetings between the leaders of the two countries, and further leverage the role of the leaders' exchanges in providing strategic guidance, according to the statement.

The two countries agreed that their cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has yielded fruitful results, and that the BRI has played a positive role in promoting economic development and improving people's livelihood in both countries.

In order to enrich the China-Hungary all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era, the two sides are committed to enhancing synergy between the BRI and Hungary's "Eastern Opening" policy, the statement said.

The two countries said they are willing to actively promote the construction of the Hungarian section of the Hungary-Serbia Railway, a landmark project under Belt and Road cooperation, and jointly promote high-level connectivity in Central and Eastern Europe.

The two sides are willing to actively support the sound and steady development of the China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line, and promote connectivity and trade between China and Hungary, the statement said.

It said the two sides will give full play to the role of the China-Hungary high-level working group on agriculture and other mechanisms in order to strengthen economic, trade and investment cooperation between agricultural enterprises of both sides, widen market access, promote the cooperation of "small and beautiful" projects, and strengthen cooperation in areas such as animal health and joint research and development of deep processing technologies for agricultural products.

Reaffirming the importance of global security and peace, the two countries vowed to jointly safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order underpinned by international law and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, work for a just and more equitable international order, and firmly safeguard world peace and stability.