Hungarian president, Chinese FM meet on ties

BUDAPEST - Hungarian President Janos Ader and visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met in Budapest on Saturday to discuss relations between their two countries, particularly China's Belt and Road initiatives.

Hungary was very much pleased to be come the first among the European nations to join the Belt and Road initiatives -- a package of grand strategic initiatives on building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

The Hungarian president highly commented on the broad prospects for the development of Hungary-China relations and bilateral cooperation in all fields, expressing the hope of Hungary to serve as a regional center in coordination with China on key projects such as the railroad linking Belgrade and Budapest, which has been 85-percent financed by China.

Wang lauded the traditional friendship between China and Hungary and the positive response from countries in the Asia-Europe region to the Belt and Road Initiatives.

The Belt and Road Initiatives, launched to boost international trade and expand global economic ties, was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he visited Central Asia and Southeast Asia in September and October of 2013.

The Belt and Road routes run through the continents of Asia, Europe and Africa, connecting the vibrant East Asia economic circle at one end and the developed European economic circle at the other.