Hungary's Orbán Embarks on Peace Mission to China Amid Ukraine Crisis
Surprise Visit Follows Diplomatic Stops in Kyiv and Moscow
BEIJING — In an unexpected diplomatic maneuver, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán arrived in China on Monday, following recent visits to Russia and Ukraine. The aim of these visits is to explore avenues for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict between the two nations.
Orbán's visit was marked by a social media post early Monday, where he referred to his trip as "Peace mission 3.0." The post, shared on the X platform, featured a photograph of Orbán disembarking from his plane in Beijing, greeted by Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Hua Chunying and other officials.
The Hungarian prime minister engaged in discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as reported by state broadcaster CCTV. Orbán emphasized that the cessation of hostilities in Ukraine is contingent not only on the warring parties but also on the decisions of three major global powers: the United States, the European Union, and China. He expressed this sentiment in a Facebook post, accompanied by an image of him shaking hands with Xi.
This meeting with Xi Jinping follows a similar encounter just two months prior when Orbán hosted the Chinese leader in Hungary during a European tour that included France and Serbia. Notably, Serbia is not a member of either the European Union or NATO.
Orbán’s administration has cultivated significant political and economic relationships with China. Hungary hosts several Chinese electric vehicle (EV) battery facilities, and in December, the nation announced that Chinese EV manufacturing company BYD would establish its first European production factory in southern Hungary.
The prime minister's unannounced visit to China comes on the heels of his recent trips to Moscow and Kyiv, where he proposed that Ukraine consider an immediate cease-fire with Russia. Orbán’s visit to Moscow was met with criticism from Kyiv and other European leaders.
“The number of countries that can talk to both warring sides is diminishing,” Orbán stated. “Hungary is slowly becoming the only country in Europe that can speak to everyone.”
Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the European Union at the start of July. Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that Orbán’s visit to Moscow was in his capacity as a top representative of the European Council. However, several European officials dismissed this notion, clarifying that Orbán had no mandate beyond discussing bilateral relations.
Orbán, known for his amicable relationship with Putin among EU leaders, has frequently impeded or diluted EU measures aimed at supporting Kyiv and sanctioning Moscow for its actions in Ukraine. He has consistently advocated for a cessation of hostilities without specifying the implications for Ukraine’s territorial integrity or future security.
This stance has caused friction with Hungary’s EU and NATO allies, who view Russia’s actions as violations of international law and threats to the security of Eastern European nations.