Chinese, Hungarian FMs hold talks on closer ties

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto in Beijing on Wednesday to discuss closer bilateral ties.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China-Hungary relations, based on mutual respect and mutual benefit, enjoy a sound momentum of development with active exchanges and cooperation in various fields.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Hungary, and bilateral relations face important new opportunities, Wang noted, adding that China is willing to maintain close communication with Hungary, implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, and push bilateral relations to a higher level.

China appreciates Hungary's determination to deepen cooperation with China despite interference and pressure, Wang said, adding that the fruitful and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Hungary in various fields not only benefits the two peoples, but also strongly proves that China is an opportunity rather than a challenge, a partner rather than an opponent to Europe.

Noting that Hungary will take over the rotating presidency of the European Union (EU) in the second half of this year, Wang said it is hoped that Hungary will promote the EU's rational and friendly view of China's development, pursue a more active and pragmatic policy towards China, strengthen strategic communication between China and Europe, and promote the sustained, stable and healthy development of China-EU relations.

Hungary is opposed to "decoupling and breaking the chain," and always believes that viewing China as a threat will only mean missing opportunities, and treating China as a partner is the right choice, Szijjarto said.

Hungary is willing to promote the construction of key projects under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, continuously deepen the mutually beneficial cooperation between Hungary and China in various fields, push bilateral relations to a new level and promote the steady and sound development of EU-China relations, Szijjarto added.

Chinese, Hungarian FMs hold talks on closer ties

Rampant dengue fever across Brazil has forced many families to call off their weekend getaway plans as the country's tourism sector takes a hit from the mosquito-borne disease.

Brazil had reported a record of more than 4.27 million cases of dengue and 2,197 deaths in 2024, the highest number ever registered for the epidemic, the country's federal health authorities said on Saturday.

A water park in the resort town of St. Elizabeth, located 70 km northeast of Sao Paulo, is normally packed with tourists in the scorching summer, with hotel reservations often made a week in advance. In recent days, however, the park has seen a marked decline in visitors due to cases that have been reported in the town and surrounding communities.

To help ensure the safety of visitors, the park's management team has sent in additional employees to intensify prevention measures.

"We add disinfectant in the swimming pool to prevent mosquitoes, and we have workers in charge of cleaning the park," said Leonardo, a worker.

"There used to be a lot of visitors. Especially on Saturdays and Sundays, our park used to be packed with tourists, double or triple what it is now," said Fernandes, a tour guide.

In the same period last year, Brazil saw more than 900,000 cases, while the total number of probable and confirmed cases in 2023 surpassed 1.6 million.

In South America's largest city Sao Paulo, home to almost 13 million inhabitants, the dengue epidemic has appeared in every neighborhood, according to the City Hall.

According to the ministry, the surge in cases this year is related to factors such as climate change and the circulation of multiple serotypes of dengue virus.

Dengue fever deals blow to Brazil's tourism sector