President Xi iInping's upcoming state visit to the U.S. will be his first official visit to the state as president of China. (Photo : REUTERS)
Air China will resume flights between Budapest and Beijing beginning May 1 with four trips every week.
The airline will be utilizing the Airbus A330-200 aircraft that has a 227-seat capacity.
Flights from Beijing to Budapest will have stops in Minsk, Belarus, while the trips from Budapest to Beijing will be direct.
Hainan Airlines used to service the route from 2004 to 2012 before Hungary's national carrier Malev collapsed financially and closed operations.
Air China is the only Chinese airline among the world's 500 most valuable brands and has a route network that extends throughout Asia to the Middle East, North America and Western Europe from its main hub at Beijing Capital International Airport.
Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto described the air link as a further success of his country's Eastern Opening strategy.
He added that the new flight is a tool for the further development of cooperation in economics, trade, culture and tourism between Hungary and China, which has never been as good.
Hungary's exports to China was at 2.2 billion dollars in 2014 with a year-on-year increase of 8 percent, according to Szijjarto. Hungary also attracted 90,000 tourists from China last year.
China's ambassador to Hungary, Xiao Qian, noted that Hungary plays a role of a regional hub in China's new policies.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited China in Feb. 2014, and Chinese investments in Hungary now total 3 billion dollars.
Bilateral trade is at 8.5 billion dollars in 2013.
China is also helping upgrade the Belgrade-Budapest rail line.
