From July 24 to 28, 2025 local time, at the invitation of Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly László Kövér, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) Zhao Leji paid an official goodwill visit to Hungary. In Budapest, he met with Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and held talks with Speaker of the National Assembly László Kövér.

During the meeting with Tamás Sulyok, Zhao Leji first conveyed President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings and best wishes. Zhao Leji noted that President Xi Jinping paid a successful state visit to Hungary in May 2024, which elevated China-Hungary relations to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era and has opened up broader prospects for friendly cooperation between the two countries. China is ready to work with Hungary to be good friends with mutual respect and mutual trust, good partners with mutual benefits and win-win results, and good brothers who understand and care for each other. China will work with Hungary to forge greater synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Hungary's Eastern Opening strategy, complete the construction of landmark projects such as the Budapest-Belgrade railway link with high quality, and encourages and supports more exchanges between the two countries and at the sub-national level in terms of culture, media and youth to promote closer people-to-people ties.

Tamás Sulyok asked Zhao Leji to convey his sincere greetings to President Xi Jinping. He said that Hungary and China have been developing bilateral relations on the basis of mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit and win-win results, which holds important practical significance and contemporary value. Participation in the Belt and Road Initiative is of vital importance to Hungary, and the Budapest-Belgrade railway project serves as a model of major project cooperation between the two sides. He expressed the hope that both sides will continuously deepen cooperation in areas such as green energy, artificial intelligence, digital economy, culture, youth and education.

During the meeting with Viktor Orbán, Zhao Leji said that in recent years, China-Hungary relations have achieved leapfrog development and are at their best in history. China appreciates Hungary's firm commitment to the one-China principle and is ready to continue firm mutual support with Hungary. The China-Hungary mutually beneficial cooperation has a solid foundation and yields fruitful results. The Chinese side welcomes more high-quality agricultural and food products from Hungary to the Chinese market, and hopes that the Hungarian side will provide policy support and security guarantees for Chinese enterprises investing and developing in Hungary. As this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union (EU), China hopes and believes that Hungary will continue to play a positive role in the sound and stable development of China-EU relations. Hungary has always firmly supported and actively participated in the cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern European Countries, and China is ready to work with Hungary to continue promoting practical results in the cooperation.

Viktor Orbán said that President Xi Jinping's state visit to Hungary last year is a milestone in the development history of Hungary-China relations. The long-standing histories and independent cultures of the two countries serve as a solid foundation for the traditional friendship between Hungary and China. China's rise is attributed to its own efforts. To develop friendly cooperation with China is Hungary's strategic choice, which will provide important opportunities for Hungary to upgrade technology and explore markets.

During the talks with László Kövér, Zhao Leji said that China's NPC is ready to work with the Hungarian National Assembly to advance the implementation of the outcomes of President Xi Jinping's visit to Hungary last year, to contribute to the high-level and high-quality development of China-Hungary relations. The two sides should strengthen exchanges between special committees, friendship groups, and between deputies to the NPC and parliamentarians, formulate, revise and approve legal documents conducive to bilateral cooperation in a timely manner, and enhance coordination and cooperation in multilateral forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

László Kövér said that a continuously growing China contributes to promoting world peace and development as well as the building of a multipolar world, which is fully in line with Hungary's interests. The Hungarian National Assembly is willing to work with China's NPC to provide firm support for mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

After the talks, Zhao Leji and László Kövér jointly witnessed the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the offices of the legislative bodies of China and Hungary, and they jointly met with the press.

During his visit to Hungary, Zhao Leji inspected the China Cultural Center in Budapest, encouraging everyone to actively promote and practice the Global Civilization Initiative, and to be good narrators of the stories of China and the friendship between China and Hungary. He also inspected the Hungarian section of the Budapest-Belgrade Railway project, emphasizing the need to make the railway a model project for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. He further inspected the Vác Smart Warehouse in the Central European Trade and Logistics Cooperation Zone and laid a wreath at the Millennium Monument.