Orban's bid for Chinese police in Hungary sparks surveillance fears
Viktor Orban wants Chinese police officers to fly to Hungary. He believes this will help tourists from Asia, who he expects to see in increasing numbers in the country. However, many journalists and politicians think this could be a means for the Chinese government to control its citizens visiting Europe.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Budapest. Before the visit, he mentioned that the expected influx of tourists from China would necessitate Chinese police officers. "Many tourists mean not only profit but also a lot of problems," he added.
This surge in tourists from China to Hungary is thanks to the opening of flight connections from Budapest to seven Chinese cities. From June, there will be as many as 19 flights a week between Hungary and China.
Chinese police officers desired in Hungary
The idea of bringing in police officers is quite plausible. Patrols by Chinese officers on Hungarian soil are permitted under a Hungarian-Chinese agreement signed in mid-February – the Hungarian Ministry of Interior announced at the beginning of March. A similar agreement was previously signed with Serbia.
Such agreements in Europe are well known. "Hungarian police officers regularly assist their Croatian colleagues on the Croatian coast during the peak tourist season, and Austrian police officers have already served together with Hungarian colleagues on Lake Balaton," – the ministry notes. Similarly, Polish police officers work in Croatia or Bulgaria during the tourist season.
Intentions to monitor their citizens?
Although officially, it is said to be about assisting in patrolling places visited by Chinese tourists in Hungary, the media claims that it could be a means for the Chinese government to control its citizens visiting Europe.
"Budapest has frequently ordered security systems from Chinese companies, including surveillance cameras. Hungary also relies heavily on the Chinese telecommunications group Huawei, which is viewed as a security threat in the West," – wrote the German newspaper "Die Welt" in March.
Suspicions about the impact of Orban's government's close cooperation with Beijing on the security of Hungary and its allies were expressed a few days ago by the US ambassador in Budapest, David Pressman.
Friday, 10 May, was the last day of the Chinese leader's visit to Hungary. Before that, Xi visited France and Serbia. In Budapest, he signed 18 agreements, the most significant of which were related to joint infrastructure projects.
Bertalan Havasi, head of Orban's press office, recalled that back in 2009, when Orban was the leader of the opposition, he agreed with Xi Jinping, then Vice President of China, that Hungarian-Chinese relations would be strengthened.
