On August 25, 2018, the city of Fenyang in Lüliang, Shanxi Province, and the autonomous governments of Dabas and Inárcs in Pest County, Hungary, signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a friendly relationship. Based on this newly established bridge of friendship, both sides will first engage in exchanges in the fields of technology, agriculture, culture, education, tourism, and people-to-people relations, gradually promoting bilateral trade cooperation.
Pálinkásné Balázs Tünde, Deputy Mayor of Dabas, Wu Xiaodong, Mayor of Fenyang, and Gál Imre László, Mayor of Inárcs, signed the memorandum of understanding on developing a friendly relationship.
Dr. Gál Imre László, Mayor of Inárcs, expressed his honor in having the opportunity to establish a friendship with the Chinese government and his hope to deepen cooperation. He stated that the Hungarian local government would seek more policy support from the Hungarian national government. Although Inárcs is a small city, its agricultural products, such as grapes and strawberries, are highly competitive in the market. Now that the Euro-Conti Tech Park project is located in Inárcs, he hopes it will provide more job opportunities for young people and leverage their strengths in technology.
Deputy Mayor Pálinkásné Balázs Tünde of Dabas highlighted that Dabas is centrally located in Hungary, close to the capital, Budapest. The city mainly focuses on service industries, animal husbandry, and furniture manufacturing and has abundant tourism, educational, and medical resources. Many international companies have established their presence in Dabas, and the city is home to a significant number of Chinese residents and businesses. She emphasized the strong and friendly relations between Chinese and local Hungarian communities, noting that the hardworking and trustworthy image of Chinese entrepreneurs is deeply respected. She wished for the successful development of the Euro-Conti Tech Park project in Inárcs.
Mayor Wang Liwei of Lüliang pointed out that under the “Belt and Road” initiative, China-Hungary relations are steadily strengthening, offering vast opportunities for cooperation in various fields. He introduced Lüliang as a major agricultural city, with its most famous product being Fenjiu (Fen Wine). Lüliang and the Fenjiu Group have invested in building the world’s largest liquor city—China Fenjiu City—in Xinghua Village, covering an area equivalent to two ancient Pingyao cities and a construction area comparable to ten Beijing Forbidden Cities. Lüliang is also a rapidly growing industrial economy, and against the backdrop of economic globalization, the city needs both “going out” and “bringing in” strategies to achieve better development. During this visit to Hungary, Mayor Wang assessed opportunities for trade, cultural, and tourism cooperation. He announced that the 20th Brussels International Spirits Competition, known as the “Oscars” of the liquor industry, will be held in Lüliang in 2019. As one of China’s most representative spirits, Fenjiu will compete for various awards at the event. He extended an invitation for Hungarian government and business representatives to visit Lüliang for further exploration.
Lei Hongmei, the head of the Science and Technology Section at the Chinese Embassy in Hungary, congratulated Fenyang, Inárcs, and Dabas on their sister city partnership on behalf of the Chinese Embassy. She emphasized that China-Hungary relations are currently at their best in history, with both countries having established a comprehensive strategic partnership. This strong bilateral friendship has laid a solid foundation for the cooperation between Fenyang, Inárcs, and Dabas. She expressed hope that the cities would use the Euro-Conti Tech Park project as a starting point to deepen their cooperation and strengthen the bond between Chinese and Hungarian cities. Finally, she wished for long-lasting friendship between the people of Fenyang, Inárcs, and Dabas.
