Advertisement
Supported by
Orban said his meeting with President Xi Jinping is part of a “peace mission” for Ukraine. But the two leaders need to counter Western power.
By Chris Buckley and Andrew Higgins
Just three days after a stopover in Moscow that angered his European allies, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban achieved another marvel on Monday by showing up in Beijing for unannounced talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping that included pledges about their countries’ strength. .
The stop in China, secretly planned like his Friday vacation to Moscow to meet President Vladimir V. Putin, is likely to accentuate complaints within the European Union that the Hungarian leader is courting authoritarian leaders with his stated policy goals. outside of the block.
In May, Orban welcomed Xi on the red carpet in Budapest, the Hungarian capital, strengthening China’s efforts to repair its influence in Europe at a time when the European Union as a whole is on the verge of reaching the reach of a conflict. a country that he considers a “systemic rival”.
The official summary of Monday’s assembly in Beijing says the two governments discussed their plans to end the war in Ukraine, where both governments favor terms Ukraine rejects while leaning in favor of Russia.
The assembly gave Xi and Orban, an exception within the European Union on Ukraine and other issues, an opportunity to force the bloc to distance itself from Washington, with which Hungary also has tense relations. Hungary began its six-month rotating presidency. the Council of the European Union this month, giving Orban greater visibility, though not much more influence, in European affairs. Still, Xi seemed to be asking Orban to do what he could.
Orban has run for years to curb the European Union’s grievances toward China, angering countries that want to counter Washington’s tough stance on what they see as unfair Chinese industrial practices.
We are recovering the content of the article.
Please allow javascript in your browser settings.
Thank you for your patience as we determine access. If you’re in player mode, log out and log in to your Times account or subscribe to the full Times.
Thank you for your patience as we determine access.
Already a subscriber? Sign in.
Do you want all the Times? Subscribe.
Advertisement