Orban meets Xi in Beijing, attends Belt and Road Forum
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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Oct. 17, Orban posted on X.
"Connectivity instead of decoupling: this is the Hungarian model. Our aim is to strengthen Hungarian-Chinese relations," Orban wrote on X.
"This is good for Hungary and good for the European economy," he added.
Xi told Orban that he was a "friend" to China, according to Reuters.
On Oct. 16, Orban held talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang ahead of the Belt and Road Forum, which starts on Oct. 17
The two-day forum intends to highlight the successes of the Belt and Road Initiative, China's global infrastructure project that aims to connect trade and investment along what was once Silk Road routes.
Orban is the only leader from the European Union to attend the summit. Despite Hungary being a member of the EU and NATO, Orban has maintained ties with China, as well as Russia.
Also in attendance in Beijing is Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who arrived in China on Oct. 17 and is set to hold talks with President Xi on Oct. 18.
It marks Putin's second trip abroad since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for his arrest over his role in the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children.
On the same day that Putin meets with Xi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit North Korea.
The visit follows reports from the U.S. that Pyongyang has already shipped over 1,000 containers of military equipment and ammunition to Moscow.
