STORY: ::Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Budapest for the last stop on his European tour
::May 9, 2024
::Budapest, Hungary
Xi, who arrived in Budapest late on Wednesday (May 8), can expect a warm welcome in a country that is an important partner in trade and investment, in contrast with other EU nations that are considering diversifying from China and becoming less dependent on the world's second-largest economy.
Xi has "developed deep friendships" with Hungarian politicians and Hungary was "the number one target in the central eastern European region for Chinese investment", Xi wrote in pro-government daily Magyar Nemzet on Wednesday.
Xi arrived in Hungary after visiting France and Serbia. In Paris, President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen pressed him to ensure more balanced trade with Europe and use his influence on Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
