Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Tuesday said that doing business with China was a precondition for recovery after the global economic crisis.

"Only companies and countries, who keep their eyes shut, don’t do business with China and Chinese companies," the Prime Minister said at the inauguration of a regional logistics base of Huawei Technologies at Biatorbágy near Budapest on Tuesday.  "Only countries that are open to China and the areas where Chinese companies are present will be able to cope and become winners in a post-crisis world."

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He said he appreciated long-term economic and cultural cooperation between central Europe and China. As for the future, the government plans to raise the exports towards outside Europe to 33% from the current 11% by 2018.

Referring to the strategy of Opening to the East, Prime Minister Orbán said that there have been winds of change in Hungary and its economic policy.

He added that those who invest in Hungary can build on solid foundations.

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The 30,000-square-metre logistics centre will handle shipments from 3,000 trucks a month, making Hungary Huawei’s second biggest supplier.

By 2015, Huawei will expand the range of products it assembles in Hungary to include its entire product portfolio, Huawei said earlier. As a result of the bigger project range, the number of people employed directly and indirectly by Huawei in Hungary will double to 3,000.

(Prime Minister's Office)