Hungary hopes China and the United States could reach a rational trade deal, said Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto during an interview in Beijing on Tuesday.
Szijjarto was in Beijing to attend the second China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE), which runs from Tuesday to Saturday. On the sidelines of the event, he sat with China Global Television Network (CGTN) to discuss economic issues concerning Hungary and China, including the recent statement by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that he plans to raise tariffs by an additional 10 percent on all Chinese goods.
Noting China and the United States are two major partners of Hungary, Szijjarto said it would be detrimental to the Hungarian economy if the two countries are engaged in a trade conflict.
"I remember when President Trump was in office for the first time between 2016 and 2020. And during that time, he led serious negotiations with the Chinese counterparts about a trade deal. If he had won the elections, he might have been able to complete that deal. So, what I hope now is that there will be a rational deal between China and the United States, because you China and the United States are the two most important trading and investment partners of Hungary outside of the European Union. And for such a country with an open economy like Hungary, with our size, with our location, with our capacities, it would be very disadvantageous if our two most important trading and investment partners would quarrel with each other, not to speak about their possible trade war. So that's why we hope that a good deal will be made between the two of you, ensuring the proper operation of the global economic system," he said.
Hungary is the guest country of honor of the ongoing CISCE, which is gathering industry leaders and experts from around the world to promote global cooperation in industrial and supply chains.
As the world's first national-level exhibition focusing on supply chains, the CISCE has attracted close to 700 exhibitors from 69 countries and international organizations this year. Over 60 percent of the exhibitors are Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders, and the proportion of foreign exhibitors has risen from 26 percent at the first CISCE to 32 percent.
In addition to exhibitions, this year's CISCE also includes a series of sideline events, including the release of an annual report on the global supply chain, and discussions on promoting supply chain stability, connectivity and accessibility, according to the event's organizers.
Hungary hopes China, US could reach rational trade deal: FM
Displaced Palestinians in the southern Gaza Strip are living in more difficult and harsh conditions, as the area was hit by the most severe rainstorms and strongest winds so far this winter on Monday, which has broken around 10,000 tents, the last refuge for many of them.
According to the Hamas-run Gaza media office, around 10,000 tents in Al-Mawasi camp were washed away or seriously damaged by sea surges triggered by the extreme weather.
The area has accommodated around 100,000 displaced people since the latest round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict broke out in October 2023, far exceeding its permanent population of 9,000.
Many of them have no choice but to set up tents on the beach, some of which are only a few steps away from the sea shoreline.
Local people told China Central Television (CCTV) that they feel a lot more desperate because they have neither enough supplies to keep out the cold nor a fixed shelter to pass the winter.
"It was the toughest night I have ever experienced in my life. It was a disaster. The depression over the area led to extremely violent weather conditions. The sea water came in, even invaded there. Now there are no tents left. They were all destroyed. The tents fell to the ground and our items were lost," said Youssef Ghaben, one of the displaced people.
"We ran away at the time and took what we could have with us. The rest was swallowed up by the sea water. The sea water swept away the belongings and wood. This is what is left of the tent. This is where we are now. This plastic sheet was donated by a kind person. We were so happy at the time but it was only used less than a week," said Mohammad Namous, another displaced man.
As winter arrives, Gaza is seeing temperature going down, with increasing rainy and windy days.
The Hamas-run Gaza media office said 81 percent of the 135,000 tents currently housing displaced people have been severely damaged.
Making matters worse, Israel has blocked the delivery of much-needed tents and mobile homes to Gaza, getting people's life increasingly difficult and the local humanitarian crisis further aggravated.
Local residents are now rushing to use all the materials they can find to repair the damaged tents. Some of them have built sand embankments around the tents to resist the influx of seawater that may come at any time.
Though the area that once provided some of the displaced people with shelter was no longer habitable, yet for them, there was nowhere to go.
"We have no idea where to go. There was no place for us to stay, and no one would take us in. We have nothing. My children were all wet. There was no medical care here. If something happened, we could do nothing at all," said Amal Younis, a displaced woman.
"Before the outbreak of the conflict, we were all happy when it rained. But now, the rain only results in floods. We have no warm clothes or medicine when we are sick. We have nothing. We have no umbrella or anything to protect us from the cold. We cannot feel happy in winter at all," said Haya Abu Daqqa, a displaced girl.
Extreme weather in Gaza worsens life of displaced people
