I have supported China many times. Take a look at this country in the east and west.

China News Service, May 9th, Rubik’s cube, ballpoint pen, vitamin C... Hungary, which has created many "firsts", is located at the intersection of Eastern and Western civilizations. It was once an important trade transit station on the ancient "Silk Road" and also The first European country to sign a "Belt and Road" cooperation document with China.

2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary. Hungary was not only one of the first countries to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with New China, but also one of the forces that has always firmly supported China on the international stage.

Hungary is located in the geographical center of the European continent, bordering Romania and Ukraine to the east, Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia to the south, Austria to the west, and Slovakia to the north. Hungary has a total border line of 2,246 kilometers, a total population of about 9.6 million, and the official language is Hungarian.

As one of the oldest countries on the European continent, Hungary has accepted and developed Western Christian culture for more than 1,000 years.

Hungary has a cool and humid climate and a good agricultural foundation. In addition, the beautiful natural scenery has made tourism one of the country's pillar industries.

As the capital and largest city of Hungary, Budapest is a famous ancient city in Europe. There, the Danube River passes through the city, and the scenery is stunning, giving the city the reputation of "Paris of Eastern Europe" and "Pearl of the Danube".

Hungarians also often refer to their country as "the westernmost country in the East". Although separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, the cultural customs of Hungary and China have many similarities - they are both accustomed to addressing each other with the last name first and the given name last, and the order of expressing the year, month and day is also exactly the same.

Beef stew with potatoes, salami, foie gras, fisherman's soup... Hungary's food is famous far and wide. Although the locals mainly eat Western food, their eating habits are similar to China's.

Fragrant kebabs, sizzling fried sea oyster cakes, cold and refreshing Cantonese sugar water... There is a dazzling array of Chinese snacks. At the stalls, people line up to wait for the delicacies; at the dining table, three or five friends exchange cups and drink. Chatting while eating - this is the scene at Dongsheng Food Street in Budapest at night.

According to reports, Zibo Barbecue, which has become popular some time ago, has also opened in Dongsheng Food Street. A handful of green onions soaked in garlic spicy sauce are sandwiched in a small pancake along with skewers and seasonings, making Hungarians "can't stop".

Data map: Chinese snack stalls in Dongsheng Food Street, Budapest, Hungary.

"In Hungary, Chinese food is a symbol of Chinese culture that is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Chinese restaurants are everywhere in the streets and alleys. Many local people have fallen in love with Chinese food culture by tasting delicious food and communicating with Chinese restaurant owners," Chen Zhongyi, chairman of Dongsheng Plaza in Budapest, once said Describe it this way.

In Budapest, not far from the sparkling Danube River, there is a Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school established in 2004. Learning to say "hello" in Chinese is a beginner's course for students there. Students can recite poems by Hungarian poet Petofi in Chinese, and teachers will also introduce Chinese writers, such as Lu Xun.

Hungary has created many “firsts” in its interactions with China. They are:

·The first European country to sign a memorandum of understanding on “Belt and Road” cooperation with China;

·The first European country to open a bilingual teaching school in Hungarian and Chinese;

·The first Central and Eastern European country to establish a RMB clearing bank;

·The first Central and Eastern European country to issue RMB bonds;

·The first Central and Eastern European country where China National Tourism Administration established an office...

Hungarians often say, "Good friends are more valuable than gold." In October 1949, Hungary became one of the first countries to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with New China. The traditional friendship between the two countries has a long history.

Especially in recent years, Hungary has repeatedly spoken out and adopted a fair stance to support China in response to some European politicians hyping up China-related issues and damaging China-EU relations.

From April to June 2021, Hungary used its veto power three times in a row to refuse to participate in the EU's attempts to interfere in China's internal affairs.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban once said that China has experienced rapid development in the past three decades and has broken the international pattern of "one country dominating" the United States. Major countries, including the United States, should get used to and accept this new global pattern.

On the afternoon of May 2, 2024, at the Vigado Concert Hall on the Danube River in Budapest, accompanied by the performance of Chinese folk music, the China-Hungary annual conference on the theme of practical cooperation in jointly building the "Belt and Road" kicked off here.

Looking back on 2015, Hungary was the first European country to join the Belt and Road Initiative, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban attended the Belt and Road International Cooperation Summit Forum three times in a row.

In the past ten years, Hungary's "Opening to the East" strategy has been deeply aligned with the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative. The two sides have frequently highlighted highlights and achieved fruitful results in cooperation in trade, investment, finance, infrastructure, electric vehicles and other fields.

As a landmark project of cooperation between China and Hungary, the Hungary-Serbia Railway runs from Belgrade to Budapest, the capital of Hungary, shortening the railway travel time between the two capitals from 8 hours to 3 hours, greatly improving residents’ travel conditions. Currently, the Hungarian section of the Hungarian-Serbian Railway has entered the comprehensive track-laying stage. Once completed, it will strengthen Hungary's position as a transportation hub in Central and Eastern Europe.

Photovoltaic panels sparkle in the sun in southwestern Hungary. The Kaposvár 100-MW photovoltaic power station project invested and constructed by a Chinese enterprise has significantly improved the level of clean energy utilization in Hungary and even Central and Eastern Europe.

New energy vehicles of different Chinese brands can be seen on the streets of Budapest, the capital of Hungary. As Chinese companies have settled in Hungary one after another, pragmatic cooperation between the two countries in this field has entered the fast lane.

We know each other no matter how far we are, but we are still neighbors thousands of miles away. When “Opening to the East” meets the “One Belt, One Road” initiative, the road to cooperation between China and Hungary will become increasingly broad.