China considers building an aviation hub at Budapest Airport

During his diplomatic visit to Beijing, Hungary’s Minister of Economic Development, Márton Nagy, held a crucial meeting with Jin Zhuanglong, China’s Minister of Industry and Information Technology.

Increased Hungary-China cooperation

PM Orbán Xi Jinping in Beijing chinese president chinese press szijjártó china — Viktor Orbán and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Photo: FB/Orbán

According to Hungary’s Ministry of Economic Development, the groundwork for this collaboration was laid during the EU-China Tourism Dialogue, which Hungary hosted from 3-5 July in Budapest, Index reports. The discussions were largely driven by the sharp increase in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Hungary.

In addition to expanding travel opportunities, China made a landmark decision allowing Hungarian citizens to travel visa-free to China for up to 15 days starting 7 March 2024. This move is expected to ease personal and business exchanges between the two nations significantly.

China’s aviation hub at Budapest Airport

New direct flight to Budapest from China Chinese tourists — New direct flight to Budapest from China. Photo: FB/Budapest Airport

The rising number of foreign tourists, especially from China, highlights Hungary’s growing appeal. The new cooperation aims to boost Chinese tourism to the country further. The core objective of the agreement is to establish a Chinese airline hub at Budapest’s Liszt Ferenc International Airport, which would facilitate further travel from Budapest to Western destinations for Chinese passengers.

As we reported before, another key topic of discussion was battery recycling, an essential component of the green transition. The two ministers agreed to expand their existing cooperation to include battery recycling and to set up a working group this year to share expertise between the two nations.

The working group will include associations, universities, and companies from Hungary’s relevant sectors, along with the Ministry of Economic Development. From the Chinese side, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will participate, along with companies on its ‘White List’. This collaboration aims to introduce Hungary to cutting-edge, safe recycling technologies, Index concluded.

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