BUDAPEST, May 9 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed on Thursday his readiness to work with Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok to carry forward the traditional friendship, deepen political mutual trust, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, and steer the China-Hungary relationship to higher levels.

Xi made the remarks when holding talks with Sulyok at the Sandor Palace in Budapest.

Noting that Hungary is one of the first countries to recognize New China, Xi said since the establishment of their diplomatic ties, China and Hungary have always respected each other, treated each other as equals, and pursued mutual benefit.

The bilateral relationship has stood the test of the changing international landscape and continued to grow in depth from a friendship across the continent, to a friendly and cooperative partnership and then to a comprehensive strategic partnership, Xi said.

The China-Hungary relationship is now at its best in history, he said, adding that the traditional friendship has taken deep roots in the hearts of the people, and cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful outcomes.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, Xi said.

Noting that China-Hungary relations have maintained steady development over the past 75 years, Xi said the two sides should sum up valuable experience and chart the course forward.

First, Xi said, both sides should treat each other as equals, follow a development path suited to their respective national conditions, and firmly hold their destiny in their own hands.

China-Hungary friendship from generation to generation does not target any third party, nor should it be dictated by any third party, he added.

Second, the two countries should uphold mutual trust and mutual assistance, always understand each other, and firmly support each other in safeguarding their respective sovereignty, security, and development interests, Xi said.

Third, the two sides should adhere to win-win cooperation, expand cooperation in various fields within the framework of the Belt and Road cooperation, and synergize their respective development strategies, he said.

Both countries should also uphold fairness and justice, stand on the right side of history, and strive to make positive contributions to the cause of peace and development of mankind, he added.

China is comprehensively promoting the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation with Chinese modernization, which will bring great opportunities to the world, Xi said.

China welcomes Hungarian friends to board the "express train" of Chinese modernization, and stands ready to work with Hungary to continuously deepen political mutual trust, promote greater synergy between Chinese modernization and Hungary's Eastern Opening strategy, tap the potential of practical cooperation, and continuously expand bilateral exchanges in various fields, he said.

Xi said China is willing to work with Hungary to continuously lead in the right direction of the Belt and Road cooperation as well as cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries, and to deepen and substantiate bilateral cooperation.

It is hoped that Hungary will take the opportunity of taking on the rotating presidency of the European Union (EU) in the second half of this year to promote the steady and sound development of China-EU relations, Xi added.

For his part, Sulyok noted that this year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Hungary and China, saying that since the establishment of ties, the two countries have always adhered to the spirit of mutual respect and mutual trust in developing bilateral relations.

Since the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries was established in 2017, bilateral cooperation in various fields has achieved positive results, he added.

He also thanked Xi for proposing the Belt and Road Initiative, saying that Hungary has benefited a lot from infrastructure connectivity and other cooperation.

The Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by Xi, which call for strengthening international dialogue and cooperation, are crucial for tackling various challenges facing the world and preventing bloc confrontation, he said, adding that the Hungarian side highly appreciates those initiatives.

Sulyok confirmed that it is Hungary's established policy to strengthen cooperation with China.

He said Hungary looks forward to closer exchanges with China, strengthening the synergy of development strategies, and promoting key cooperation projects such as the Hungary-Serbia railway to bring more benefits to the people.

Sulyok said he believes that Xi's historic visit will elevate the comprehensive strategic partnership between Hungary and China to a new and higher level.

Noting that China has advanced technology and experience in green transformation and clean energy, he said more Chinese enterprises are welcome to invest and conduct cooperation in Hungary.

He also expressed the hope that the two sides can continue to cooperate in the management of the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school and the Confucius Institute for stronger bilateral cultural and language exchanges and cooperation.

Also on Thursday, Xi attended a welcome ceremony jointly held by Sulyok and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest.