Hungary's Orbán Makes Surprise Visit to China

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Facts

• Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán arrived in Beijing on Monday and met with Chinese Pres. Xi Jinping, three days after meeting Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin in Moscow.¹
• In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Orbán called his visit — which comes a day before a three-day NATO summit starts in Washington — 'Peace mission 3.0.'²
• He called the PRC 'an important stabilising force.' However, the West has rejected China's 'political settlement' to end the Russia-Ukraine for being pro-Moscow.³
• On Tuesday, Xi suggested the world's major powers should project 'positive energy rather than negative energy' to enable a cease-fire and 'seek a political solution' to the conflict.⁴
• Orbán's next stop would be Washington, with Hungarian cabinet minister Gergely Gulyas indicating the country's prime minister could potentially meet with former US Pres. Donald Trump.⁵

Sources: ¹New York Times, ²CNN, ³Ft, ⁴Al Jazeera and ⁵Bloomberg.

Narratives

• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Globaltimes. Orbán's outreach to China and Russia over Ukraine is a smart move. This 'shuttle diplomacy' reflects a pragmatic approach in contrast with the West's confrontational stance. Orban's efforts align with Xi's call for a political settlement that may foster a less antagonistic approach to world conflicts within the context of Xi and Putin's efforts to forge a more harmonious multipolar world order.
• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Tvpworld. Orbán has no role or right in mediating over the Ukraine war. This so-called 'shuttle diplomacy' is undermined by Hungary's policy towards Ukraine, which includes making unreasonable demands regarding Hungarian minorities. His actions serve as a 'Trojan horse' for Russia within the EU and NATO. This is a cynical undermining of a rules-based order that seeks to end Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Predictions