China's Xi feted in Hungary, the last stop of his European tour

Chinese President Xi Jinping was given military honours as he visited Hungary on Thursday – seeking a "new journey" with his closest European Union ally amid divisions with the West over the Ukraine war and global trade. It's the final leg of Xi's first visit to Europe in five years, which started in France. 

Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok received Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan with military honours in the courtyard of the presidential palace in Budapest.

The Chinese leader had arrived on Wednesday night, attending a state dinner with Prime Minister Viktor Orban on the back of a visit to Serbia.

In an op-ed published in Hungary's pro-government Magyar Nemzet daily, Xi praised a "long-standing friendship" that he said was "as mellow and rich as Tokaji wine" – referring to the renowned Hungarian vineyards region.

Xi's three-day visit to Hungary marks 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Since Hungary began to promote itself as a global hub for the manufacturing of electric vehicles in 2022, several new Chinese businesses have sprung up around the country.

According to the Hungarian government, the two countries are expected to sign at least 16 different agreements promoting their cooperation in rail and road infrastructure, nuclear energy and the automotive industry.

The Chinese leader is due to leave Hungary late Friday.

First stop France

Xi kicked off his Europe trip on Sunday with a visit to France. His exchanges with French President Emmanuel Macron were cordial but also highlighted tensions between Beijing and the EU over the war in Ukraine and global trade.

During a three-way meeting with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Macron urged Xi to do what he could to end the war in Ukraine, and not to allow the export of technology that could be used by Russia.

Xi warned the West not to "smear" China over the conflict and also hit back at accusations that Chinese overcapacity was causing global trade imbalances.

Europe is concerned that while officially neutral over the Ukraine conflict, China is essentially backing Russia, which is using Chinese machine tools in arms production.

Serbian ally

On the second leg of his Europe tour, Xi flew to Serbia, a non-EU country that is probably Beijing's staunchest supporter on the continent.

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic reaffirmed his strong support for China's sovereignty over Taiwan as he gave a lavish welcome to Xi.

China has poured billions into Serbia and neighbouring Balkan countries, particularly into mining and manufacturing, and last year Beijing and Belgrade signed a free trade agreement.

China also had plans to construct a branch of its prestigious Fudan University in Belgrade, but the multi-million dollar project was quietly shelved after protests when local media found out the buildings would replace a project for cheap student housing. 

NATO bombing

Xi's visit also coincided with the 25th anniversary of the 7 May, 1999 US bombing of the Chinese embassy there, which killed three people.

The embassy was hit during a months-long, US-led NATO campaign targeting Serbian security forces who were at war with ethnic-Albanian insurgents in Kosovo.

The US later apologised, saying outdated maps had led the pilot to strike the wrong target.

On Tuesday, Xi wrote in Serbian daily Politika that NATO had "flagrantly bombed the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia" – warning that China would "never allow such tragic history to repeat itself".

But according to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, Xi did not physically visit the site of the embassy building, in a “calculated move” so as to “not to stoke tensions with the West.”

(with newswires)