President Xi Jinping on Tuesday held a flurry of bilateral meetings with visiting world leaders who converged in Beijing to attend the Belt and Road forum.

Mr Xi told Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban that he was a friend to China, and that both nations should elevate relations.

In one of the most prominent projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China offered most of the financing needed to build a railway link between Budapest and Belgrade.

"We consider you as a friend," Xi told Orban. "You have actively supported jointly building the Belt and Road, and made contributions to promoting high-quality development of the Belt and Road cooperation."

Meanwhile the President told his Chilean counterpart Gabriel Boric that China-Chile relations have always been at the forefront of the country’s relations with Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Xi told the Chilean leader that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Chile relations, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) said.

The president praised Chile for being the first South American country to establish diplomatic relations with China, and among the first Latin American country to join the Belt and Road initiative, CCTV reported.

"China-Chile cooperation in various fields has promoted the development and revitalisation of both countries and brought substantial benefits to our people," Xi added.

State media also reported that Xi has met with other visiting state leaders, including Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Calling Tokayev an "old friend", Xi said that a healthy, stable and vibrant China-Kazakhstan relationship is conducive to the development and revitalization of the two countries, as well as the maintenance of regional peace and stability, CCTV reported.

"Regardless of changes in the international situation, China and Kazakhstan should adhere to the original intentions, give mutual help, perpetuate the concept of good neighborliness, and continuously promote the development of the permanent comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries," Xi added. (Agencies)

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Last updated: 2023-10-17 HKT 14:47