BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a congratulatory message to Katalin Novak on her taking office as the Hungarian president.

The development of China-Hungary relations, Xi said, has maintained at a high level in recent years, marked by frequent high-level exchanges, fruitful cooperation in various fields and sound cooperation in international and regional affairs.

Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Hungary relations, adding that he is ready to work with Novak to deepen political mutual trust and traditional friendship between the two countries.

Xi also called for joint efforts to strengthen cooperation between the two countries both at the bilateral level and within the Belt and Road cooperation, the China-Central and Eastern European countries cooperation and other frameworks, and to promote the China-Hungary comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level so as to benefit the two countries and their peoples.