The deal will offer Hungary a major strategic advantage, Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said in China after talks with counterpart Wang Yi.

“Hungary and the People’s Republic of China have been strategic partners since 2017. If anyone had any doubts, the past few months have proven how much Hungary has profited from the strategic cooperation … Its success can now be measured in terms of the number of human lives saved,” he said.

Had Hungary’s government not purchased vaccine from Sinopharm, “the number of vaccinated Hungarians would be one million lower, Hungary would not top the EU in terms of the inoculation rate, and it would not have made great strides towards normalcy.”

Szijjártó called economic cooperation “another success story”, noting that two major Chinese banks will soon appear in Hungary, and several Hungarian firms have scored successes on the Chinese market.

Negotiations on major Chinese investments in electric car manufacturing and other projects in Hungary are under way, he said.


MTI Photo: Tibor Illyés