China’s ‘Flag Police’ In Hungary; Premier ‘Bows for Dictator’ Opposition Says
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News reporting from Budapest, Hungary
BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Hungary’s powerful prime minister has defended a government decision to ban flags of Tibet, Taiwan, and even the European Union at key sites in Budapest during last week’s visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Viktor Orbán confirmed that “Indeed it was not allowed to put up such a flag because this is an old dispute” despite angry reactions from the opposition.
He explained, “A few years ago when the Chinese prime minister was here, we discussed this in the Hungarian parliament,” referring to similar flag measures at the time.
“We made the position of the Hungarian government clear: Hungary has freedom of speech and assembly. However, those who come here as our guests are entitled to be treated as such. So these two rights need to be aligned, so we do not permit activities and events that would diminish our guests’ visit who come to Hungary and are received with respect,” Orbán added.
He stressed it would be “disrespectful and would harm Hungary’s national security interests” if he would change these policies.
Orbán spoke after several Hungarian opposition politicians and activists tried to remind Xi about reported abuses, such as the violent annexation of Tibet by China in 1951.
Yet the Tibetan flag of the president of the Tibetan Aid Society was covered with a Chinese flag by Chinese activists on Budapest’s Gellért Hill in a matter of minutes, Worthy News learned.
EU FLAG BANNED
Márton Tompos, the vice-president of the opposition Momentum party, wanted to plant an EU flag in the capital, but he was prevented by Chinese “volunteers” wearing red baseball caps, footage seen by Worthy News showed.
Tímea Szabó, the co-president of Párbeszéd A Zöldek Pártja (Diologue-The Greens Party’), hung a Tibetan flag from her Budapest office window and said she received “threats” from parliament chairman László Kövér and the secret service.
A Taiwan flag wasn’t welcome either, with Orbán saying he supports a “one China” policy under which Beijing has threatened to annex the democratically-ruled island one day, by force, if necessary.
Hungarian opposition politicians and activists were also kept at a distance when one was dressed as the cartoon character Winnie-the-Pooh, the fictional anthropomorphic teddy bear created by English author A. A. Milne, while others held balloons with the yellow smiling bear.
Winnie-the-Pooh has been banned in China after activists on social media compared him with footage of Xi.
The Chinese “volunteers” described by critics as “agents and loyal soldiers” of the Chinese Communist Party were allowed closer to the motorcade route by police and security forces, Worthy News established.
“Imagine what would happen if it wasn’t Chinese secret servants in red caps but, say, Americans in blue caps would attack Hungarian citizens on the streets of Budapest. What kind of campaign would have been launched by Orbán?”Szabó said.
HARASSING CITIZENS
“In our opinion, however, citizens of any other country should not harass Hungarian citizens for displaying a Union or Tibetan flag within our borders or during any peaceful protest,” she added.
Orbán countered, “Protesting is allowed too, just as welcoming the Chinese president is allowed. But the two must be very well separated by space so that the freedom of assembly is there, and we also ensure that our guest is treated as he should be.”
He is pleased that Hungary signed 18 agreements with China, ranging from infrastructure, such as a railway link between Belgrade and Budapest, to nuclear energy.
Despite environmental concerns, one of the most prominent investors, CATL, is building a 7.3 billion euro ($7.86 billion) battery plant in Debrecen.
And, Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD said late last year that it was building its first European plant in southern Szeged,
While Orbán’s government has a secretariat for persecuted Christians, the topic wasn’t mentioned in the public discussions between the two leaders, despite concerns about their plight in Communist-run China.
Hungary’s opposition also noted that Hungary became China’s sixth “strategic partner after Pakistan, Venezuela, Belarus, Ethiopia, and Uzbekistan.
STRATEGIC PARTNER
Opposition politicians suggested that Hungary become “a strategic partner” again of the European Union, the NATO military alliance, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, or the U.S.
However, they say that with billions withheld by Brussels in EU funding after corruption scandals and a crackdown on critical media, Orbán searches for billions from the East. They also fear more Chinese propaganda after extensive agreements were signed between Hungary’s public media and China’s state-run outlets.
Orbán, who hopes to see a Chinese university in Budapest one day despite fierce opposition, said Hungary maintains its sovereignty.
He isn’t afraid that the Chinese “volunteers” and soon Chinese police patrolling the streets due to the expected influx of Chinese tourists could intimidate the diaspora.
“We have the best national security system in all of Europe, both in technology and human resources,” he stressed.
Xi’s May 8-10 visit to Hungary was the closing part of his trip to Europe, including France and Serbia, Hungary’s southern neighbor.
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