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After signing a strategic cooperation agreement with BYD, Mr Orbán recalled that in 1990 we had successfully joined the world’s automotive production, and had created a sound industrial and technological base. For this he thanked Hungarian engineers and factory workers, and highlighted that it was also thanks to them that Hungary’s car production had been able to enter the next phase.
He added, however, that we were living in times of turbulent changes, new technologies, new customer needs and new manufacturers had emerged, and we Hungarians did not want to be left out of this new era. We adopted a strategic decision to the effect that Hungarian industry must join the new phase of electromobility, he pointed out.
He also said that short-term and cyclical market effects have no impact on this strategic decision of ours. Upon the introduction of a new technology, there are always ups and downs which must be endured. The essence is that we know that this is the future, and Hungary must not be left out of this future, he laid down.
The Prime Minister said it is inconceivable for Hungary to enter a new technological era with electromobility by relying purely on its own resources. For this we need partners, and we can only enter the new era if there is Chinese-Hungarian cooperation as in this industry China has the leading technology, he recalled, adding that we are currently living in the most intensive phase of the history of Hungarian-Chinese relations of 76 years.
He recalled that they had established the China-Central Europe cooperation with the participation of the ministers of the economy of the countries concerned in Budapest in 2010-2011, while Hungary had also joined the Belt and Road Initiative and had not left it since in contrast to quite a few European countries.
He further recalled that President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping had invited Hungary during his visit to Budapest to take part in the modernisation of the Chinese economy, and with this he had offered Hungary economic opportunities to which the Hungarian government had said yes.
He stressed that today Hungary followed a connectivity strategy in the world economy as well as in world trade, fostering intensive and pragmatic relations with all world political power centres. In order for the Hungarian economy to achieve its goals, it must keep its relations also with China at a strategic level and must develop them, he pointed out.
He indicated that with this connectivity strategy they modernised and made the Hungarian economy resilient all at once. The goal of the government is for Hungary to become a meeting point for eastern and western investments, capital flows, technologies and trade, he added.
He said Hungary has always opposed punitive tariffs against China, and has urged their lifting. Hungary encouraged a return to economic cooperation based on mutual respect, and expressed its conviction that Europe’s future lay not in opposition, but in partnership.
He highlighted that the volume of Hungarian-Chinese trade had doubled in the past 10 years, and China was – in addition to the United States and Germany – one of the three main investors in Hungary, in some years the largest.
The Prime Minister took the view that Chinese investments had become an essential engine of Hungarian economic growth.
He indicated that Hungary was working together with China on mega infrastructure projects facilitating East-West cooperation. As part of these, the Budapest-Belgrade railway line will be commissioned soon, they will begin the construction of the V0 rail cargo ring as well as of the natural oil pipeline connecting Serbia to Hungary, while China is playing an important role in the financing of large Hungarian modernisation projects.
He highlighted that the goal was for foreign investors to bring to Hungary not only production facilities, but also research and development capacity. He indicated that the agreement concluded with BYD was also important because the company – rather than building just a factory – was also going to bring to Hungary its development centre, and this showed that the plan worked.
He recalled that before BYD, companies such as Audi, Apollo Tyres, Bosch, Continental, Knorr-Bremse, Mercedes, Samsung, Schaeffler, Sega, Stellantis and ZF had brought research and development facilities to Hungary.
He indicated that thousands of highly qualified engineers worked at these centres already at present, but BYD now represented a quality boost as the company headquarters would create 2,000 new jobs, mostly for highly qualified people with university degrees in engineering.
He said he is certain that further actors will follow BYD.
