China and Hungary held a cultural event on Wednesday in Budapest to celebrate 75 years of diplomatic ties, during which an agreement was signed aimed at deepening cultural exchanges.
Hosted by China Media Group (CMG) and the Media Service Support and Asset Management Fund (MTVA) of Hungary, the event was held to coincide with Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Hungary.
It was an evening of celebration as China and Hungary marked more than seven decades of diplomatic cooperation.
The agreement was signed between CMG and Hungary's Liszt Music Academy, aiming to create a bridge between China and Hungary. This will see Hungarian students travel to China to study music and promote musical and cultural program exchanges.
"I think it can help us to show strong Hungarian cultural and musical heritage and can help us also to know better the Chinese culture," said Kutniyansky Chouba, acting director of the Liszt Academy of Music.
"Twenty years ago, a primary school was established in Hungary. Now it is a middle school also and this is unique over all Europe [as it is] the only one. And that means that in Hungary, the children or the students from the very first class until finishing university, they can learn Chinese language and more important they can learn the Chinese culture," said Peto Erno, president of Hungary-China Chamber of Commerce.
Additionally, CMG teamed up with media outlets across Europe to launch the "When Tai Chi Meets Symphony" China-EU Youth Creation and Sharing Season, engaging young people through creative, interactive activities on social media platforms to facilitate broader dialogue between Chinese and European youth.
China, Hungary sign agreement to strengthen cultural exchanges
A Chinese mainland spokesperson said Lai Ching-te has sent "a dangerous signal" of seeking "Taiwan independence" and making provocations to undermine cross-Strait peace and stability in his speech upon assuming the role of Taiwan region's new leader on Monday.
Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, described Lai's speech as one that stubbornly followed the "Taiwan independence" stance, wantonly advocated separatism, incited cross-Strait confrontation and sought independence by relying on foreign support and by force.
Chen said the mainstream public aspiration on the island is for peace and development, instead of war and recession, while Lai has ignored the public opinion, exposing his nature of being "a worker for Taiwan independence."
The current complex and grave situation across the Strait is rooted in the fact that the Democratic Progressive Party has stubbornly stuck to the separatist stance of "Taiwan independence," rejected the 1992 Consensus that embodies the one-China principle, and kept colluding with external forces to make provocations of seeking "Taiwan independence," Chen said.
Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, said Chen, stressing that "Taiwan independence" and peace across the Strait are incompatible as fire and water.
"We have firm determination to resolve the Taiwan question and realize national reunification; we have strong capabilities to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity; and we will take resolute actions to fight separatist activities seeking 'Taiwan independence' and external interference," he said.
"We will never tolerate any 'Taiwan independence' separatist acts in any form," said Chen.
China must and will be reunified, Chen stressed. No matter how the situation on the island changes and who assumes the regional leader, it will not change the fact that both sides of the Strait belong to one China, or impede the historical trend of national reunification, he said.
"We will fully implement the Party's overall policy for resolving the Taiwan question in the new era, unswervingly uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, work together with Taiwan compatriots to promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and cross-Strait integrated development, and resolutely advance the reunification of the motherland," said Chen.
Mainland says Lai sends "dangerous signal" in speech as Taiwan's new leader
