China’s Xi Jinping leaves Hungary, concludes 5-day European tour
Hong Kong Free Press
Chinese President Xi Jinping departed from Budapest on Friday, completing his first European tour since 2019, which also took him to France and Serbia.
His official plane took off shortly after 6:00 pm (16:00 GMT) from the capital’s airport, according to images broadcast by state television channel M1.
The Chinese leader kicked off his tour last Sunday in Paris, where he was welcomed with pomp, but also had to deal with uncomfortable questions about the Ukraine war and global trade rules.
Later in Belgrade and Budapest, lavish spectacles and praise awaited him.
During his three-day visit to Hungary, the Central European country’s capital was decked out with Chinese flags and placed under tight security.
The few Tibetan flags held up by demonstrators were hidden from Xi’s sight and most local and international media were not allowed to attend events on his itinerary. Even his schedule was not officially published.
Xi held multiple meetings with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a nationalist who is frequently at loggerheads with Brussels.
On Thursday, he urged his closest European Union partner to “play a bigger role” in fostering relations between Beijing and the bloc.
Amid disagreements with the West, both leaders stressed their shared views and demonstrated their close ties, announcing that 18 bilateral agreements had been signed.
Several new joint projects were announced, including the construction of rail infrastructure, the establishment of a new fast border crossing and possible oil pipeline between Hungary and Serbia, and cooperation in the nuclear sector.
On Friday, Xi and Orban visited Hungary’s largest building, the 143-metre-high headquarters of local oil company MOL Group.
“Hungarian-Chinese relations reached unprecedented heights,” Orban said on his Facebook page, sharing photos of the visit.
President Xi departed from the luxurious hotel Hilton on Budapest’s Castle Hill, where he was staying.
As he was about to leave the hotel, the police asked tourists and curious onlookers to move to the adjacent streets, an AFP reporter observed.
Even some of the many Chinese onlookers, wearing red caps and invited to greet him loudly along the route, were prevented from entering the area because they had not taken the right path.
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https://hongkongfp.com/2024/05/11/chinas-xi-jinping-leaves-hungary-concludes-5-day-european-tour/