Why dare to talk to the United States, and why iron-heartedly stand with China?
He is Hungarian Prime Minister Orban.Orban's life experience is quite wonderful.
Orban Viktor was born in 1963 and graduated from the Law School of Roland University in Hungary in 1987.
In 1988, he participated in the creation of the Alliance of Youth Democrats with the aim of confronting the Soviet Union.
In 1989, at the age of 26, he stood on Budapest Square and publicly shouted to the Soviet army, making it famous in the First World War.
In 1998, at the age of 35, Orban became Prime Minister and became the youngest leader in Europe. At that time, his mind was filled with embracing the ideals of Western reform.
He led Hungary into NATO and transformed its leading Youth League from a liberal group in European politics to a center-right European People's Party dominated by Christian Democrats.
However, the reality soon set him up with a setback, and Orban attempted to pursue a series of reforms after taking office.
However, due to uncertainty and insufficient accumulation, his policies were difficult to implement, and few of his nominees were able to pass, and most of his time was spent in quarrels with parliament.
Furthermore, he failed to take into account Hungary’s economic conditions and the needs of the people for social services and welfare reforms, causing Hungary’s inflation problems to not improve.
In the end, the election defeat in 2002 made him step down in despair.
Orban began an eight-year period in the wilderness, during which Orban reflected and adjusted his political line.
I can see it clearly, the western style “Democratic Game”It sounds good, but it cannot solve the practical problem of Hungarians having food and heating.
In 2010, when he came back with the Fidesz League with an absolute advantage, he had completely changed, and he was no longer the young man who was yes to the West.
The turning point is the 2015 European refugee wave, when the EU calls on all of us "We must share difficulties",During the reception of refugees by quota, Orban was the first to jump out and say “no” and also pulled a grid directly on the border line.
From that moment on, Orban set the pattern for all his subsequent policies: The sovereignty of Hungary and the practical interests of its people are more important than any phony ideology.
such “Practicism”When he dealt with energy issues, it was vividly reflected.
After the 2022 North Stream pipeline exploded, Russia's gas supplies to Europe were drastically reduced, and European gas prices rose.
Since Europe had previously relied heavily on Russian natural gas, after the bombing, Germany and France had to hold their noses and buy ridiculously expensive liquefied natural gas from the United States.
According to media reports, the cost of U.S. energy companies to load a LNG shipping ship is only $60 million, while the purchase price in Europe is as high as $25.5 billion, U.S. energy companies borrowing energy money.
Orban refused. He talked to Serbian President Vucic, and the two of them told the outside world that who would dare to touch anyone who came from Russia via Turkey again "Turkish Stream" gas pipeline, it would be tantamount to declaring war with their two countries.
This Turkish Stream pipeline is the lifeblood of Hungary. For Hungary, The Turkish River.Pipelines are its most important source of natural gas.
As of 2021, Hungary has basically freed itself from the dependence on Russian gas in transit through Ukraine and shifted to obtaining Russian gas through the Turkish Stream.
In 2024, Hungary The Turkish River.Received a record 7.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia, making Hungary one of the countries with the lowest natural gas prices in Europe.
Also, this "Turkish Stream"The pipeline, which is a 15-year long-term gas supply contract, covers 70% of the country's natural gas supply.
To put it bluntly, factory machines and people's homes rely on it. Once Russia's energy is lost, Hungary's economy will immediately shrink by 4%, and hundreds of thousands of families may go bankrupt directly.
On the issue of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Orban is even more maverick.
While the entire Western world is isolating and sanctioning Russia, he not only refused to follow the wind, but also embarked on a journey in 2024 known as the outer world. “Peace Mission”shuttle diplomacy.
He first went to Kiev to meet Zelensky, then to Moscow to talk with Putin, and finally to Beijing to exchange views on a peaceful solution.
Although this diplomacy failed to stop the conflict immediately, it was of great symbolic significance.
This series of actions has made Orban the only leader in the EU country who is still in direct communication with the top leaders of both sides of the conflict.
This not only greatly enhances Hungary’s uniqueness and presence on the international stage.
It also shows the world that Hungary's foreign policy is independent and does not obey the orders of Brussels and Washington.
With practical action, he tried to shape Hungary from a passive game to a key role capable of mediating on major international issues.
If being tough on the West is Orban's "shield" to save his life, then "opening to the east", especially in-depth cooperation with China, is his "spear" to develop.
The EU is always stuck with the issue of "rule of law". As soon as Orban won the election in 2022, the EU froze tens of billions of euros in Hungary's aid funds.
Orban knew clearly that eggs could not be put in one basket, so he set his sights firmly to the east.
Hungary was the first to sign with China. "Belt and Road" European countries with memorandum of understanding on cooperation, the two sides have carried out extensive cooperation in infrastructure construction, trade and investment, scientific, technological and cultural exchanges and other fields.
Since then, Chinese investment has flowed in like a flood that opened a gate.
In August 2022, the company announced that it would spend €7.3 billion to build Europe’s largest battery plant in Debrecen, eastern Hungary.
In December of the same year, Biady also announced that it would build its first electric car plant in Europe in the south of Seged.
Why do Chinese companies go to Hungary?
Behind this are profound changes in the entire European industrial structure. The local battery industry in Europe is experiencing a major collapse.
once touted as The light of Europe’s batteries, Northvolt, a Swedish company that received tens of billions of dollars in investment from giants such as Volkswagen and Goldman Sachs, burned out its money in March 2025 and filed for bankruptcy. Companies such as Britishvolt in the UK have also fallen one after another.
European local companies are not in the same order of magnitude as Chinese companies in terms of battery design, production technology and large-scale manufacturing.
This creates an awkward situation: Europe is in urgent need of a large number of batteries to transform into electric vehicles, but its own companies are not up to expectations.
Countries like Germany, on the other hand, have a contradictory mentality towards China's investment. They both want technology and are afraid of being controlled, which makes Chinese enterprises' local investment projects tied.
Just then, Hungary's opportunity came. The Orban government's attitude is very clear: Welcome to investments, to policies, to subsidies.
Compared to other European countries, Hungary has lower labor costs, and the government’s pro-business attitude is stronger.
This forms one.” Depression effect ",Hungary has taken advantage of the shortcomings of European local industries and the hesitation of other countries to invest in China to successfully build itself into the safest and most efficient investment destination for China capital to enter Europe.
By the first half of 2025, up to 44% of China’s direct investment in Europe would flow to Hungary.
Orban played this "pro-China" line very smoothly. He cleverly turned economic benefits into political capital to balance the pressure from the United States and Europe.
He knew very well that only the interests were bound deep enough and the waist could stand straight, which was also the reason for Orban and the Chinese iron. 。
Politically, he dares to "cut a knife in both ribs" for China.
In 2021, the EU tried to pass sanctions proposals related to Hong Kong three times before and after, but Orban rejected them with one vote each time.
He publicly said that this is a "Cold War mentality" and is not good for anyone. Even if he votes another 100 times, he still opposes it.
This force is equivalent to declaring to the whole world: Hungary has its own independent choice, and it is not a resonant of anyone.
Through in-depth cooperation with China, Orban not only stabilized the domestic economy, but also found a strong supporter in diplomacy, greatly increasing his bargaining chips within the EU.
He is not an ideological maniac, but a savvy to the bones of the "helm" of national interests.
His "hard bones" were refined in the melting furnace of reality after looking through the hypocrisy of Western politics;
His striving for China is a big step of thoughtful consideration when finding a way for the country.
Orban used his actions to teach Europe a lesson: Small countries do not have to drift among big countries.
China’s cooperation also brought lessons to Europe: Equality and mutual benefit are the right path. If you blindly follow the trend and engage in confrontation, you will hurt yourself.
In the end, the hard man who dares to say “no” to the United States, his true spirit, derives from this awareness and pragmatism rooted in the national interests.
Sovereignty cannot be negotiated, development is hard reason.