China's Xi leaves Hungary as he concludes a 5-day visit to Europe
Chinese President Xi Jinping has left Hungary, concluding a tour of three European nations meant to reinforce China’s growing influence on the continent
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Chinese President Xi Jinping left Hungary on Friday, concluding a tour of three European nations meant to meant to reinforce China's growing influence on the continent.
Xi's plane took off from Budapest airport on Friday evening, after five days in Europe that began with a visit to France and then Serbia.
Earlier on Friday, Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on the social platform X that Xi had concluded his three-day state visit to Hungary, the last stop on his Europe visit, hailing the development of the two nations' “strategic partnership.”
During the visit, Hungary and China signed a number of new agreements on deepening their economic and cultural cooperation. During a news conference on Thursday, Orbán praised the “continuous, uninterrupted friendship” between the two countries since his tenure began in 2010, and promised that Hungary would continue to host further Chinese investments.
Xi began his visit with a meeting earlier in the week with French President Emmanuel Macron. Their talks focused on trade disputes — including lifting tariff threats on Cognac exports — and Ukraine-related diplomatic efforts.
He next went to European Union candidate Serbia, where the two nations signed an agreement to build a “shared future.”