Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left), also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest on Wednesday local time. Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry

The successful story of China-Hungary cooperation will have a demonstrative effect for Europe and the world, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said while meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest on Wednesday local time. Wang also expressed hope that Hungary will play an active role in promoting the sound and steady development of China-Europe relations, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

Following a series of recent visits by several European leaders to China to deepen engagement, Wang's visit to Hungary and his upcoming attendance at the Munich Security Conference in Germany could further advance China-EU dialogue. As Europe weighs its China policy amid new geopolitical shifts, the success of China-Hungary relations serves as a model, underscoring that a pragmatic, cooperation-oriented approach toward China offers tangible benefits for Europe, said a Chinese expert. 

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, paid a visit in Hungary on February 11 and is set to travel to Germany to attend the 62nd Munich Security Conference (MSC), a foreign ministry spokesperson announced on Tuesday. 

During the meeting on Wednesday, Wang said that the international situation is complex and volatile, but what remains unchanged is the friendship and cooperation between China and Hungary. He noted that the two countries' leaders have forged solid mutual trust and friendship, providing strategic guarantee for the sound and steady development of bilateral relations, according to Xinhua.

Facts have proved that developing mutually beneficial cooperation with China fully serves Hungary's national interests and the fundamental interests of its people and is a correct choice, he added.

Wang said China will continue to be a reliable long-term strategic partner of Hungary. The China-Hungary relationship, built on mutual respect, equality and win-win cooperation, enjoys strong endogenous momentum and broad prospects for development. China welcomes Hungary to continue riding the express train of Chinese modernization, to share opportunities, and to promote common development, per Xinhua.

Orban said the Chinese nation is great, and China's leadership has strategic vision and the capacity for long-term planning, guiding China toward rapid development and growing strength and confidence. 

He said Hungary admires China's achievements, noting that Chinese enterprises have topped the ranking of investors in Hungary for several consecutive years and that the Hungary-Serbia railway is set to begin operation soon. These developments have strongly boosted Hungary's economic growth and improved people's livelihoods. Hungary welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest and operate in the country, he added.

Orban reaffirmed Hungary's firm commitment to the one-China policy and expressed readiness to further deepen all-round cooperation with China. Hungary will continue to actively promote dialogue and cooperation between Europe and China, he said.

Orban also posted a photo of himself with Wang on X on Thursday, writing, "Pleasure to meet with Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Hungary continues to strengthen its partnerships with China and develop economic cooperation that creates jobs and drives growth. Together, we are shaping a future full of innovation and opportunity."

China-Hungary relations are widely seen as playing a leading role in China-EU ties. The latest high-level interactions further underscore both sides' recognition of this significance and determination to build on the successful experience of bilateral cooperation. The shared understanding to extend this positive momentum to China-EU relations is expected to inject new vitality into both bilateral ties and the broader China-EU relationship, Dong Yifan, an associate research fellow at the Belt and Road Academy of Beijing Language and Culture University, told the Global Times on Thursday.

During his visit to Hungary, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also met with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto, and the two jointly met the media. 

Wang said that the two foreign ministers reached broad consensus during talks and expressed full confidence in the development of China-Hungary relations. Looking ahead, both sides should continue to uphold the "five joint actions": jointly consolidate the foundation of mutual trust; jointly deepen mutually beneficial cooperation; jointly promote people-to-people exchanges; jointly advance the healthy development of China-EU relations; and jointly work to improve global governance, according to a release from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

According to a release from the Hungarian Government on Wednesday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Szijjarto described Wang as a friend, noting that this marks their 24th personal meeting over the past eleven and a half years. He added that this is the Chinese foreign minister's first European visit of 2026. 

According to Szijjarto, statistics already show that Chinese companies brought the largest volume of foreign investment to Hungary in 2025 as well, and Hungary was once again the top European destination for Chinese investments last year. He stressed that Chinese companies bring ultramodern technology to Hungary, create highly advanced jobs and provide secure livelihoods, making it in Hungary's clear interest to further strengthen bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

"While the world continues to stumble from crisis to crisis, Hungarian-Chinese economic cooperation helps strengthen the Hungarian economy," the minister added, according to the release. 

Dong said that in recent years. the success of China-Hungary relations is increasingly viewed as a model, underscoring that a pragmatic, cooperation-oriented approach toward China offers tangible benefits for Europe. Moreover, as the upcoming Munich Security Conference takes place against a backdrop of mounting strains on the international order and transatlantic relations, Europe is grappling with growing strategic uncertainty and concerns over the global outlook, said the expert.

In a report on Wednesday, the Politico said that "the Munich Security Conference will serve as a gut check of the frayed relationship, and whether Europe can hold on to its emerging self-assurance." While the Euro News summarized the 2026 Munich Security Conference report as saying that the international order is under growing pressure, alliances are becoming more fragile, and geopolitical tensions are intensifying. 

The instability stemming from Washington has made it increasingly important for European countries to diversify partnerships and shore up political and economic stability, while internal debates over China policy continue. Dong said that with several European leaders recently visiting China to seek economic opportunities and deepening engagement, the conference may become a key platform for advancing China-EU dialogue and alignment, helping create more positive momentum for communication and consensus-building between China and the EU.