China and Hungary ready to cooperate over ending Ukraine conflict, Wang Yi says

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi spoke in Budapest amid tensions over US allegations that Beijing is considering arming Russia in its war against Ukraine

Wang also thanked the ‘China-friendly’ Hungarian government for ‘supporting China’s legitimate positions at international and multilateral forums’

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China’s foreign minister Wang Yi shakes hands with Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto in Budapest, Hungary on Monday. Photo: Reuters

Published: 12:50am, 21 Feb 2023Updated: 9:56am, 21 Feb 2023

Corrected [9:27am, 21 Feb, 2023]

[9:27am, 21 Feb, 2023]
In the 2nd paragraph and summary of this story, it was incorreclty stated that Wang Yi is China's foreign minister. Qin Gang replaced Wang Yi as China's foreign minister in December. Wang Yi was promoted to Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission.

China and Hungary are ready to cooperate with “peace-loving nations” to end the Ukraine war, Beijing’s top diplomat said on Monday.

Wang Yi was speaking in Budapest amid tensions over US allegations that Beijing is considering arming Russia in its war against Ukraine.

Beijing has rejected the accusations.

China and Hungary are happy to work together with other peace-loving countries to end the current war as soon as possible

Wang Yi

“China and Hungary are happy to work together with other peace-loving countries to end the current war as soon as possible,” Wang said, according to an official translation.

“We would like the parties to return to the negotiating table,” he added, reiterating a call for support for a Chinese proposal to end the war.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said he welcomed the Chinese position, which sought to “establish peace as soon as possible.”

Wang also hailed the Hungarian government’s “China-friendly policy”, thanking Budapest for “supporting China’s legitimate positions at international and multilateral forums”.