A pragmatic approach in everything: why does Xi Jinping need visits to Serbia and Hungary

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Serbia on the evening of May 7. Next he plans to visit Hungary. These two states are friends of the PRC.

Xi Jinping views Serbia and Hungary, in particular, as places for investment, business development and serious areas influence. This opinion 24 Channel was voiced by Natalya Butyrskaya, an expert on East Asia, Master of Foreign Policy.

Benefit for China

Natalia Butyrskaya noted that Xi Jinping went to Belgrade to honor the memory of the people who died during the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade by NATO troops on May 7, 1999. Belgrade is a serious friend and ally of Beijing. Although Serbia is not a member of the European Union or NATO, it is located in the heart of the Balkans and is a very serious sphere of influence for China, a place for its investments and business development. In particular, for the development of the “One Belt, One Road” project.

Hungary, which is a member of NATO and the European Union, is also a friend of China. The government of this country also actively supports the “One Belt, One Road”, which is not only about investment in infrastructure. This is Xi Jinping's broader strategic project.

With the development of infrastructure, Chinese investments come into one region or another, and strategic objects are acquired. Ports, port infrastructure, terminals. Along with these ports and logistics, goods from China enter the countries. Thus, China has already become the number one trading partner for more than 100 countries. This is a very serious attachment, a very serious bet,” explained the expert on East Asia.

Now China cannot allocate as much money as before, because it has already invested 1 trillion in building infrastructure projects that were not always good for countries. Because large loans often could not be repaid, projects did not always end positively.

“This does not scare either Hungary or Serbia. They rely on Chinese investment to build a railway that will connect these two capitals. Because the leaders of the two countries gladly accept Chinese investment and become China’s support in Europe,” the master of foreign policy emphasized.

Hungary has economic problems and is accepting investments. In particular, in the automotive sector, the production of electric vehicles and batteries for them. At the same time, China will locate production in the European Union. Chinese companies will be able to enjoy all the benefits of interaction with European countries and access to European markets.

Hungary has a voice in the European Union and actively blocks all decisions there that are directed against China.

“Hungary should hold the presidency of the EU Council for the next six months. And this is a very good opportunity for China, with its help, to advance its agenda, to achieve, as China says, a friendly pragmatic attitude from the outside European Union to China,” added Butyrskaya.

Xi Jinping began a European tour

• Chinese President Xi Jinping began his European tour. On May 5 he arrived in Paris. He was met by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.
• On May 5, upon his arrival in Paris, Xi Jinping published an article in Le Figaro, in which he stated that he came to France with “three messages.” Among the main problems are trade and diplomatic relations between the two countries, but also the search for ways to resolve the war in Ukraine.
• It is known that Chinese leader Xi Jinping supported Emmanuel Macron’s idea of ​​a truce in Ukraine, Gaza Strip and Sudan. It is planned during the Olympic Games in Paris. In addition, China has pledged not to sell any weapons to Russia.