Apart from the economy, tourism and culture, the health-care sector also presents a number of opportunities for Hungarian-Chinese cooperation, Bence Rétvári said at an event at Budapest’s Semmelweis University. He mentioned medical tourism, R+D, quality control, training and traditional Chinese medicine as potential areas for bilateral cooperation.

He noted that Budapest will host a meeting between the health ministers of China and sixteen central and eastern European countries next June.

Zhao Yu-pei, a co-head of the hospital alliance, said the scheme must continue to strengthen China’s relations with countries that have joined its One Belt, One Road initiative. The addition of the four Hungarian hospitals to the alliance will also make the relationship stronger, he said.

Duan Jielong, China’s ambassador to Hungary, said the aim of the alliance is to boost cooperation between Chinese and central and eastern European hospitals, to advance cooperation in the field of medical technology, promote highquality medical training and advance cooperation in research.

The hospital alliance at present has 47 members, he said. He said medical training in Hungary was excellent, adding that the alliance will benefit both countries. Hungary now has seven hospitals participating in the cooperation scheme.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.