An Authoritarian Advance or Creating Room for Manoeuvre? The Case of Hungary’s China Policy
An Authoritarian Advance or Creating Room for Manoeuvre? The Case of Hungary’s China Policy

Summary/Abstract: Hungary is one of the most active proponents of cooperation with China inEurope. Sino-Hungarian political relations are thriving and Hungary participatesenthusiastically in activities related to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), 17+1,and other Chinese initiatives. Hungary is regularly pictured in Western media asan advocate of Chinese interests and a Trojan Horse for China in the old continent.The Chinese influence in Hungary, however, is overestimated, and data shows thatChina plays a very limited role in Hungarian affairs. It is true that Prime MinisterViktor Orbán’s government frequently makes friendly gestures towards China, butthis reflects the ambitions and calculations of the Hungarian side more than China’sefforts to build up influence. This article discusses the context, the motivations, andthe aims of Hungary with regard to China and the BRI in order to assess the realimpact of Chinese ties with the country

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