摘要：In an increasingly uncertain world, trust and responsibility are becoming rare virtues. Yet the friendship between China and Hunga

SFC Chief Correspondent Shi Shi at Budapest

In an increasingly uncertain world, trust and responsibility are becoming rare virtues. Yet the friendship between China and Hungary stands as a warm and enduring bridge, weathering the tides of time and remaining as steadfast as ever.

"We have had very excellent and very good relations with China, from the Silk Road time until now. I'm very happy because all my successors followed the same way to maintain good relations with China. It doesn't depend on whether the political direction is from the left or the right — everybody understands this is important for Hungary, and we have to do something," said former Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Medgyessy in an exclusive interview with SFC reporter.

To him, China-Hungary relations are far more than political alignment or trade—they reflect genuine people-to-people affinity and mutual understanding.

As a vital gateway for Chinese enterprises entering Europe, Hungary is drawing growing interest from Chinese investors with its open posture, inclusive culture, and increasingly favorable business environment. "When Chinese companies come to Hungary, they feel at home," Medgyessy said. From high technology and infrastructure to culture and education, China-Hungary cooperation is expanding in both breadth and depth—particularly in the field of innovation, where the two countries see promising prospects for collaboration.

At a time when the world is yearning for more stability and trust, Medgyessy believes it is cooperation—not confrontation—that serves the greater good. And China, with its consistent patience and long-term vision, has proven to be a committed advocate for building a community with a shared future for mankind.

The 50-year journey of China-EU diplomatic relations stands as a testament to growing mutual trust and cooperation. Looking ahead, under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, China-Hungary ties are poised to reach even greater heights. As Medgyessy emphasized: "we are strongly linked, so we have to respect the mutual interest and have to be optimist that the responsibility will be the number one in the world."

SFC Markets and Finance: We live in a world full of challenges and uncertainties. How do you view the current international order?

Medgyessy Péter: This is a very difficult question, because unfortunately, before 10 years, 20 years, US was really the top of the development, reliable and very serious. And unfortunately, I have to be also sincere, unfortunately, with the new administration of the United States, changed a lot the position of the United States.

Who is the loser? The loser is the American people. Because today I can’t say so easy, the United States is very reliable and predictable. It's very difficult to say that. So of course, there is now two big power, China and the United States, or the United States and China, as you like. And the interest of the world, to have the cooperation, to have the mutual understanding, not to fight against the other, but to learn from the other, and to use for the people what we learned. And now is not really the case. I hope that the new US administration will understand how important is the reliability, and the, how to say, that you can count what will happen.

This actual situation for China, China has a very long history, and China have the time and have the patience. So I hope that the next years will be much better understanding between the two very big power to give something, not only for the Chinese people and for the American people, but for the world. This is the most important.

SFC Markets and Finance: Broadly speaking, what are your thoughts on the future of the global community?

Medgyessy Péter: For me, the most important is the responsibility, responsibility to the future generations, responsibility for the future of the Globe, and the responsibility to our peoples. And as I see, time to time, I have the impression that some leaders in the Western world, doesn't take care enough about the future of the Globe.

So I hope that the next leader generation, I see some good signs, the new German Chancellor, the new United Kingdom Chancellor (Prime Minister), Macron as the French President, I see that they feel the responsibility.

But time to time, I have the impression that some leaders, including unfortunately, the American leaders also, doesn't care about the responsibility. And I feel the responsibility from the Chinese side, also, because they say that we are responsible, each other, and we have a common future, a shared future.

We are so strongly linked to each other, Africa, America, China, Europe, we are strongly linked, so we have to respect the mutual interest and have to be optimist that the responsibility will be the number one in the world.

SFC Markets and Finance: How do you assess China-Hungary trade relations over the past several years?

Medgyessy Péter: Strongly, I'm committed to the Chinese-Hungarian relations. I think we have the chance, because since several hundred years ago, we have had very excellent and very good relations with China, from the Silk Road time until now. And I had the chance also after the changing of regime in 2002, I was elected Prime Minister, and I decided to pay a visit to China to push and help the relations between the two countries. I wanted to go, and I wanted to make something for our relations. That was the moment we started — or restarted, if you want — our very excellent relations between China and Hungary.

I'm very happy because all my successors followed the same way to maintain good relations with China. It doesn't depend on whether the political direction is from the left or the right — everybody understands this is important for Hungary, and we have to do something.

The active Prime Minister also understands the importance of the relations between the two countries. So I can say our relations are developing very quickly, not only in trade but also in investment. We have a lot of Chinese investment in Hungary, and we are very happy to see Chinese investors coming to Hungary and helping Hungary achieve greater success in life.

We also have very strong cultural ties. I had the chance to create a bilingual Chinese-Hungarian school where children can learn Chinese culture and language, and where we foster personal connections among young people. I was very happy to create this school.

We also have excellent cooperation in exhibitions and strong cultural ties between universities. So I can say that I’m very happy with the current situation between Hungary and China. Of course, there's always room to do even better, so I hope to see our relations develop even more quickly. I’d be very happy to see more Chinese tourists on the streets. I just came back from Austria, from Vienna, and Vienna is full of Chinese tourists — I’d love to see the same in Budapest, in Hungary. As I said, you can always do better and better. But for now, I'm satisfied and happy.

I want to keep pushing our relations forward.

SFC Markets and Finance: We’ve seen a growing number of Chinese investments in Hungary, especially in Budapest, with many companies setting up headquarters and factories. How do you see this trend developing, and what could it bring to Hungary’s economy?

Medgyessy Péter: First of all, and this is, I think, very important, that the Hungarian people is very welcoming the Chinese persons and peoples. We are very open-minded, and we are happy to see to working here the Chinese people, there is the Chinese minority in Hungary. So if the Chinese company come to Hungary, the people feel good in my country.

The second, we are a member of the European Union, and this is an advantage, certainly, this is an advantage because via Hungary, the Chinese companies can approach more easily the European market, and this is also a big advantage. The conditions, the economic conditions, are very good, because they give some some support, the financial and other support for the Chinese investors to coming to my country and to work here.

We have a very high level cultural life. It's also important because some Chinese people like very much the culture, and coming here to listen to opera, to visiting the museums, the bibliotheques and so on and so. But I have to emphasize, in my mind, the most important, that's the open-minded, open-heart Hungarian people, for the Chinese persons who come to work in Hungary, or to visit Hungary, or to make some research and so on.

SFC Markets and Finance: Do you think Hungary can serve as a bridge or platform for Chinese companies to enter the European market?

Medgyessy Péter: Absolutely, I absolutely agree it is a platform for the Chinese companies, because we have excellent relations of course, with European leaders, even we have time to time, some small difficulty, but in general, we have very good relations with the European leaders.

And we have to understand Europe because it's very important for the Chinese investors, because the big Chinese companies understand very well Europe, but the small and medium sized companies have to find some support in Hungary, some knowledge of the market, and that we can offer, for the Chinese investors, Chinese traders and so on.

SFC Markets and Finance: This year marks the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic ties. What role do you think China-Hungary relations play within the broader China-EU relationship?

Medgyessy Péter: Hungary is a small nation, but we have very, very wide relations in the world. We have the very good researchers, the Nobel Prize, we got a lot of Nobel Prizes. So I think this is good to share what we know in the culture, and we are always ready to learning from Chinese people, from the Chinese culture.

SFC Markets and Finance: Hungary was one of the first countries to join the Belt and Road Initiative. How do you view the BRI and its impact so far?

Medgyessy Péter: This is a very good question, because at the beginning that was very dynamic, and started and go quickly and good results, and that was very good. So now, as I see, became a little bit slower, the development. And I would be very happy to support this idea, because this idea is very excellent, is very good.

The relations between the different countries, the different part of the world, and to develop the relations in the economic, but also also in the cultural relations, and tourism and everything, I would be very happy to see that is accelerating, this process, because as I told you, that was a very excellent idea, but I'm not really very happy with the speed of the development.

I give you an example, we decided China and Hungary, and Serbia to make railway between Belgrade and Budapest. Idea is very good, because that can help Belgrade to enter in the world network, and to have more opportunity, more contacts with China and Hungary.

And I think we have to extend the concept, because it's not good to finish between Hungary and Belgrade, have to go further in the western part of Europe, to make the contact and to help to develop more efficient and more quickly. So I appreciate the idea, I'm very happy, I think have to work on realization of this idea.

SFC Markets and Finance: There are many high-tech innovations happening in China. Do you hope to see more Chinese high-tech products introduced to Hungary?

Medgyessy Péter: Absolutely, absolutely. I appreciate what realized in China, the development, the high-tech development, and we would like to enjoy also, of this development. But from the other side, also, have to say that in Hungary we have also some very high-level biotechnology, for example, it's very good, very high-level in Hungary. Hungarian researcher, a lady, got the Nobel Prize two years ago, or three years ago. So we can offer each other opportunities.

And I appreciate, really, what did the Chinese researchers. And I have to say one thing, which is, for me, very important, that the Chinese young people go everywhere in the world to learn, but they turn back to China, and help for China to make the research, to developing, to realizing what they learned, and this is very important. And we have to learn this idea, this very good principle coming from China.

I had the chance to visit China some very important offshore centers. And they got the young Chinese people got the opportunity to show what they learned in western world, in United States, in England, or Germany, or I don't know that. So this is also something we can learn from China. Not only because China understand, and this is very, very important, China understand the importance of the learning of the universities, of the research, because this is the basis of the future, and we have to do the same.

SFC Markets and Finance: As the southern gateway of China, Guangdong boasts a long history and has also emerged as one of the world’s major innovation hubs. What’s your impression of Guangdong?

Medgyessy Péter: Yes, I’ve visited Guangdong many times. I’m always glad to come here — because I really love Guangdong music. I also enjoy the local food very much. Beyond that, I admire the rich culture, the museums, and especially the people. Guangdong people are open and friendly toward Hungarians — they’re willing to talk, to exchange ideas, and to build friendships.

SFC Markets and Finance: Looking ahead, which industries or sectors do you think China and Hungary can enhance cooperation in?

Medgyessy Péter: Really, I'm not an engineer, I don't know really what are the most important issues where we can have the cooperation. But informatics, in the biotechnology, in the pharmaceutical industry, we can help for China to do something, and we are ready to learn from China what you know and what you are realizing.

Chief Producer: Yu Xiaona

Supervising Producer: Shi Shi

Editor: He Jia, Li Yinong

Reporter: Shi Shi, Li Yinong

Video Editor: Cai Yutian

New Media Coordination: Ding Qingyun, Zeng Tingfang, Lai Xi1, Huang Daxun

Overseas Operations Supervising Producer: Huang Yanshu

Overseas Content Coordinator: Huang Zihao

Overseas Operations Editors: Zhuang Huan, Wu Wanjie, Long Lihua, Zhang Weitao

Produced by: Southern Finance Omnimedia Group

来源：亿家一家