Chinese Government responds to the “offensive” statements of Budapest’s Mayor
The Chinese Embassy in Hungary has responded to the statements announced on the demonstration held in Budapest against Fudan University last Saturday. According to the spokesman, lies and false information were expressed at the event that, among others, criticised the Chinese political system and the friendly cooperation between China and Hungary.
As we previously reported, the Hungarian campus of the Fudan University would be built in the southern part of Budapest on the eastern bank of the Danube, with four faculties – Arts and Social Studies, Medicine, Public Administration, Natural Sciences and Technology – available for 6000 national and international students. The project is also significant as Fudan Budapest would be the second-biggest Chinese university outside China. However, the project is a divisive issue between the Hungarian government and the opposition parties who organised the massive demonstration last Saturday with the motto “Yes to the Student City, no to the Chinese University Giant”.
The event was attended by thousands of participants, including
Budapest’s Mayor, Gergely Karácsony whose speech was found to be outrageous by the Chinese Embassy in Hungary.
According to the Press Spokesman for the Chinese Embassy, the demonstration held on 5th June against the Fudan project was disrespectful and offensive, containing several false information announced by “some politicians of Budapest”. As the Hungarian news portal Telex reports, the diplomat, who has been living in Hungary for ten years, was shocked by Budapest’s Mayor, Gergely Karácsony’s speech at the event that attacked the Chinese political system and the Chinese-Hungarian friendly cooperation based on mutual respect.
The embassy’s official Facebook page responded as follows: „in broad daylight, it is unseemly to criticise the internal affairs of another country.”
According to the post, even though the Mayor has repeatedly stated that his statements did not target China or the Chinese people, his speech was full of ideological prejudices and hostility that encourages confrontation. Furthermore, the „single-handed” rename of several streets realised a few days ago – “Xinjiang independence”, “Tibet independence”, and “Hong Kong independence” – are also difficult to understand as if they were not clearly aimed at China and the Chinese people.
According to the embassy, this is an interference in China’s internal affairs that sabotages the friendly cooperation between China and Hungary.
Based on the post of the Chinese Embassy in Hungary, they strongly protest, oppose and condemn this, adding that “China upholds the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom for all mankind.” The full post can be read here:
At the end of the official announcement shared on Facebook, the Press Spokesman asked Budapest’s Mayor to support the friendship of the Hungarian and Chinese peoples instead and also provided three valuable bits of advice on how to be a good mayor. Accordingly, he suggested Gergely Karácsony „live up to the trust of Budapest citizens; ” to stay objective and rational” instead of misleading people with false information; and keep his “gentlemanly demeanour” when talking about China in the future.
Concerning the Fudan project in the Hungarian capital, spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry told at Monday’s press conference that the Budapest campus is in the interests of all parties and is in line with current trends. Vang Ven-pin also added that the Fudan campus in Budapest is an important platform for exchange relationships. Responding to a demonstration against the campus in Budapest on Saturday, the spokesman expressed hope that “in Hungary, the relevant objective, reasonable and scientific approach can be used instead of politicizing and discussing normal “people-to-people exchanges”, maintaining bilateral friendship and cooperation.
Source: telex.hu, mti.hu