Magyar News, 2006. január-május (17. évfolyam, 1-5. szám)
2006-02-01 / 2. szám
/AiNOPÍTV (HtNESE St. Stephen wrote to his son Emeric: “the country... where only one language and custom prevails, is weak and fragile...” I just wonder what he would write today. Hungary always had minorities that were great help to the country. After the devastating occupation of the Tartars, the Turks, and modem times too, new people, language and costumes became part of the country’s life. We had the Germans, Italians, and Slavic people. Recently we had 750,000 gypsys that dwindled down to 450.000 to 500,000. The Jewish population might be 100,000 in Budapest. It is difficult to make proper headcount. In 1988 with the visa-free travel arrangements between Hungary and China, the Chinese population in a short time grew from nil to 40,000. About 35.000 lives in Budapest. These were not traditional poor migrants: indeed some were China’s entrepreneurial cream, and their close ties with state enterprises in China facilitated imports of merchandise at low prices and on favorable terms. Today there are some 3500 Chineseoperated companies in Hungary, in addition to around 50 Chinese state-owned trading corporations registered in Hungary. As early as the mid-1990s Hungary was already being described as “the Hong Kong of Europe”. The way these immigrants settle is not haphazard. They build their high-rise apartment buildings, so they are a close-nit community. The they put up a state of the art Asian Center. There are two Chinese partners who enjoy the help of the Austrian construction and investing company the Starbug AG. Hungary’s largest shopping malls to date, Asia Center aims to be a platform for the exchange of goods between Asia and Europe - the largest Asian business and exhibition complex in Europe. We notice that there are significant changes in European-Asian politics. Putin in Russia is working on putting together the conglomerate that the Soviet had. In addition the Russians and the Chinese had wargames together. This means that they shared their military knowledge. Recently in a leading Irish newspaper I On the left is the largest shopping mall in Hungary. On the bottom two photos show a new restaurant outside and inside. Right bottom is a news stand with ten Chinese newspapers. Lot of reading for a lot ofpeople. read that there are about 70,000 Chinese in Ireland. Many of them pretend to be collage students. They have an organization that makes good money, and takes in a lot more, for giving reports and diplomas from scam collages and universities. With these they have a better chance to receive jobs or positions and blend in with local communities. Hungarian PM. Gyurcsany made a personal visit to China and made deals that went beyond the visa-free travels. In this chaotic world it is very difficult to follow political trends and measure up what good they might be to the people in general. I have no problem with the people. They brought so many good things to mankind. I admired their arts, their capability of even moving mountains. From time to time I enjoy the Chinese take-out foods from the restaurants. I also keep an eye on the worlds large country with a population that exceeds any other nation. Joseph F. Balogh Page 1
