Hungary and China maintain predictable and mutually respectful relations, including with Hong Kong, abiding by the “one country, two systems” principle, Szijjártó said at the event.

Hungary would have barely survived the pandemic without the medical PPE and other equipment from China, he said at the museum founded by Hong Kong-born businesswoman Queenie Rosita Law.

When it comes to bilateral cooperation, records are being smashed every year, he said, adding that relations should not be expressed in just numbers but also at a human level through education and culture.

Budapest is home to five Confucius Institutes, while Beijing has hosted the Hungarian Cultural Institute for almost a decade, Szijjártó noted. Also, Hungarian can be studied in several Chinese locations, he added.

Thanking Queenie Rosita Law and her husband for investing much time, energy and money in the project, the minister said the 1,000sqm exhibition space in the former Rausch villa on Andrássy Avenue added colour to Budapest’s already vibrant art life, creating an opportunity for contemporary Hungarian artists to access the world stage.

The family’s corporate group set up its central European headquarters in Budapest, he noted, adding that the government strove to ensure the most competitive investment environment in Europe “despite today’s unparalleled strife”.