Hungary PM Orban arrives in Beijing
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Monday he had arrived in Beijing on "Peace mission 3.0" after recent visits to Moscow and Kyiv. Orban was greeted at the airport by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, according to a photo he posted on social media platform X. His arrival in Beijing follows surprise visits to Russia and Ukraine in the past week since Hungary took over the European Union's rotating presidency at the start of July. Orban, the friendliest EU leader towards Moscow, held talks with President Vladimir Putin on Friday about the war in Ukraine during a trip criticised by both Kyiv and the EU, which said it threatened to undermine the bloc's stance on the conflict. His visit also came days before a Nato summit that will address further military aid for Ukraine against what the Western defence alliance has called Russia's "unprovoked war of aggression". In a short statement, the Foreign Ministry said the Hungarian leader would meet President Xi Jinping on Monday "for in-depth communication on issues of mutual interest". Hungary, under Orban, has become an important trade and investment partner for China, in contrast with some other EU nations. (AFP/Reuters)