China has offered to support its longtime strategic partner Hungary on public security issues beyond trade and investment relations during a rare meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, while NATO is trying hard to expand its network in Europe, UNN reports citing Reuters.
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China hopes to deepen law enforcement and security ties with Hungary as the two countries celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong told Orban last week, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
During his visit to Budapest, Wang expressed hope that such efforts would be a "new moment in bilateral relations" in areas such as the fight against terrorism and transnational crime.
They will also include building security and law enforcement capabilities as part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's One Belt, One Road initiative, which aims to connect China with the world through trade and infrastructure links.
Wang also met with Interior Minister Shandor Pinter and signed documents on cooperation between law enforcement and security agencies, Xinhua reported on Sunday, without providing details.
What the publication describes as "China's security guarantees" reportedly came as Hungary has worked over the past decade under Orban's leadership to "reduce its dependence on Western countries and more recently to resist pressure to approve NATO expansion in Europe.
Hungary is the only NATO country that has not ratified Sweden's application to join the alliance, the newspaper points out.
China has been critical of NATO, especially after the bloc said last year that Beijing had challenged its interests, security and values with its "ambitions and coercive policies.
Chinese state media reportedly called NATO a "serious" challenge to global peace and stability.
"The security agreement with Hungary is a diplomatic victory for China in the European Union, as the bloc weighs its ties with the world's second-largest economy over differences on human rights, trade imbalances and Russia's invasion of Ukraine," the article says.
Reportedly, the growing proximity of this Central European country to Beijing has already driven a wedge into the EU's collective front.
"On several occasions, Hungary has stood aside or opposed EU positions that criticized China on issues such as human rights and welcomed Chinese investment, despite the EU's call for members to bring relations with China in line with those of the bloc," the newspaper writes.
As indicated, Hungary is home to Huawei Technologies' largest logistics and production base outside of China, despite the European Commission's warning that the telecommunications giant poses a threat to EU security.
Since 2016, Huawei has partnered with Shanghai-based artificial intelligence firm Yitu Technology to work on smart city solutions aimed at improving public safety and policing using artificial intelligence and surveillance.
The first European plant of the Chinese automaker BYD will reportedly soon appear in Hungary.