US envoy warns Hungary that close ties with China 'come with strings attached'

The US envoy to Budapest sharply criticised the Hungarian government on Tuesday for close political and business relations with China that often “come with strings attached, and the interest is often paid in sovereignty.” In a speech to US companies that have invested in Hungary, at the American Chamber of Commerce, Ambassador David Pressman slammed Hungary for doing business with China based on non-transparent contracts “rife with corruption.” He also criticised nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government for allowing Chinese workers into Hungary and for a security cooperation between the two countries that allows for the presence of Chinese police…