BUDAPEST: Hungary is looking to advance business relations with China’s Hubei province mainly in the areas of agriculture, economic development and urban planning, a foreign ministry state secretary said on Sunday.
Hungary’s plans include the trade of premium agricultural products and innovative solutions and technologies used in smart urban development programmes, László Szabó told MTI after a two-day international conference in Wuhan, the province’s capital. In his talks with provincial leaders, Szabó indicated that Hungary is prepared to sign a cooperation agreement with Hubei.
The province wants to find a way to make use of its idle capacities and is also looking to open a production base in Europe to save transportation costs. The state secretary said Hungary, with its large railway network and motorways, would be a perfect place to open such a base. Szabó said Hungary is in advanced talks with Hubei about the distribution of a modern Hungarian-made water purification system throughout the province.
Two such systems are already under construction, he said. The forum included a so-called “Hungarian section” devoted to Chinese-Hungarian relations. Szabó said China views Hungary as the country with a key role in launching cooperation between China and central and eastern European countries. Hungary is also known for having been the first European country to join China’s One Belt, One Road initiative to establish a link between East Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe, he said.
