In a letter written to Viktor Orbán congratulating him on his re-election, China’s Premier Li Keqiang wrote that “Shared ideals and visions for the future can bring people together, even if they are separated from one another by thousands of kilometres.”

The letter, dated Tuesday 8 May, was forwarded to the Hungarian press agency MTI by Bertalan Havasi, head of the Prime Minister’s Press Office.

Writing about Chinese-Hungarian relations in the areas of trade, investment and infrastructure development, Mr. Li praised the significant progress achieved, which he described as being based on mutual political trust and fruitful cooperation. He stated that friendship between the two peoples is continuously deepening, adding that the development of bilateral relations is also effectively promoting co-operation between China and Hungary’s regional neighbourhood.

In his letter, the Chinese Premier recalled that Mr. Orbán had warmly welcomed him in Budapest last November, at the sixth meeting of the heads of government of China and sixteen Central and Eastern European countries (the “16+1” initiative). He expressed the hope that relations and cooperation between China and Hungary, the 16+1 group and the European Union will be raised to an even higher level through joint efforts.

In closing, Mr. Li invited the Hungarian Prime Minister to China on an official visit.

(MTI)