Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Budapest on Wednesday for a state visit to Hungary at the invitation of Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Upon entering Hungarian airspace, the Chinese president's plane was escorted by two fighter jets sent by the Hungarian Air Force.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Budapest on Wednesday for a state visit to Hungary at the invitation of Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Xi arrives in Budapest for state visit to Hungary
Xi arrives in Budapest for state visit to Hungary
Xi arrives in Budapest for state visit to Hungary
Xi arrives in Budapest for state visit to Hungary
After landing at the Budapest Airport, Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan were welcomed by Orban and his wife Aniko Levai, as well as senior Hungarian government officials including Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto.
After stepping out of the plane, Xi and Peng exchanged handshakes and greetings with Orban and Levai.
President Xi and his wife then received a traditional Hungarian welcome, with children offering bread and salt to distinguished guests in accordance with local culture and performing folk dance Czardas. They also received flowers from bilingual school students, who greeted them by saying "Welcome to Hungary" in Chinese.
In a written speech delivered upon the arrival, Xi said he is delighted to pay a state visit to the beautiful country of Hungary at the gracious invitation of Sulyok and Orban.
Noting that China and Hungary are good friends and partners that share mutual trust, Xi said that in recent years the two sides have seen frequent high-level exchanges, deepening mutual trust, fruitful outcomes in Belt and Road cooperation, vibrant people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and close coordination and collaboration in international and regional affairs.
Xi said the two countries have set a fine example of building a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Hungary, bringing an important opportunity for the growth of bilateral relations, he said.
Xi said he looks forward to meeting with Sulyok, Orban and other Hungarian leaders, and that they will jointly outline a new blueprint for cooperation and development, with a view to steering the China-Hungary relationship forward in big strides and taking it to a higher level.
"I believe that no matter how the international landscape evolves, China and Hungary will always view and approach the bilateral relationship from a broad perspective and a long-term view," he said.
"Through vigorous and determined endeavors, we will work together toward the goal of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and make our due contribution to world peace, stability, development and prosperity," he added.
"I am confident that, with the two sides' concerted efforts, this visit will be a complete success and usher in an even brighter future of China-Hungary relationship," he said.
Xi is also accompanied on the visit by Cai Qi, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and foreign minister.
Xi was also greeted by Chinese ambassador to Hungary Gong Tao at the airport.
On the way from the airport to the hotel, hundreds of people waving national flags of the two countries lined the streets and cheered as Xi's motorcade passed by.
Hungary is the last leg of Xi's current three-nation Europe tour, which has previously taken him to France and Serbia.
Xi arrives in Budapest for state visit to Hungary
Xi arrives in Budapest for state visit to Hungary
Xi arrives in Budapest for state visit to Hungary
Xi arrives in Budapest for state visit to Hungary
Xi arrives in Budapest for state visit to Hungary
