The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade informed Hungarian news agency MTI that on Friday Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó received China’s Ambassador to Budapest Duan Jielong, with whom he reviewed the development of Hungarian-Chinese economic relations.

According to the Ministry’s statement, the parties welcomed the fact that there are an increasing number of Chinese investments in Hungary, the total volume of which is now more than USD 3.5 billion.

Mr. Szijjártó said that the dynamically expanding Chinese economy plays an important role in the economic cooperation between Europe and Asia, and therefore the Government of Hungary favours declaring China a market economy.

The parties at the meeting also reviewed the security situation in Southeast Asia, and processes which influence the region’s stability. In this respect Mr. Szijjártó said that it is important that countries of the region work with each other, without any external pressure, to solve the South China Sea dispute in a peaceful manner.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)