Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán arrived in Beijing today for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the head of Orbán's press office told the state news agency MTI , quoted by BTA.
"Prime Minister Viktor Orban's mission to achieve peace continues," said Bertalan Havashi.
This is Orbán's third surprise trip since Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the European Union in early July. Last week, Orbán traveled to Ukraine and Russia as part of what he called a "mission for peace".
Orban, who according to Reuters is Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally among EU leaders, has often opposed EU initiatives to support Ukraine.
Last year, Orbán told Putin that Hungary never wanted a confrontation with Russia. Earlier this year, EU leaders took weeks to overcome the Hungarian prime minister's veto of €50 billion in aid to Ukraine.
Last month, the EU opened membership talks with Ukraine, thereby expressing its political support for Kiev amid Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine.