A summit on law enforcement between China and Hungary took place in Budapest on Friday, February 16. During the summit, Interior Minister Sándor Pintér held talks with Wang Xiaohong and signed agreements allowing Chinese police officers to accompany their Hungarian counterparts on joint patrols in several locations across Hungary, which is a member of the EU.

This agreement immediately drew a reaction from Sophie in ‘t Veld, MEP of the Renew Group, who formally asked whether the European Commission was aware of it and whether there had been any reactions from EU institutions to Hungary’s decision.

On April 10, MEPs discussed the extent of Chinese law enforcement activities in Europe with the Council and Commission.

“While the EU has started to address the threat of authoritarian interference— it remains blind to interference originating from our very own authoritarian member states. The fact that Chinese police officers will soon begin patrolling in Hungary is foreign meddling in EU affairs and a significant risk to EU security. The Commission must have a forceful answer,” Katalin Cseh (Momentum, Hungary), initiator of the debate in the European Parliament, said.

[Edit typo.]