Istvan Tihanyi. (COURTESY PHOTO)

By CHEN Xi & ZHAO Hui

Chinese President Xi Jinping replied to a recent letter from students of the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school in Budapest, encouraging more Hungarian youths to increase their knowledge of China and become envoys of China-Hungary friendship.

Istvan Tihanyi, a young Hungarian who now lives and works in Tianjin, said, "I am doing what President Xi encouraged, becoming an envoy to strengthen China-Hungary friendship," vowing to do even more towards this goal in the future.

Tihanyi was already interested in China when President Xi officially visited Hungary in October 2009. In September 2014, he was admitted to Tianjin University, one of China's oldest universities and leading academic centers, to pursue a master's degree in environmental engineering. "During my study time in Tianjin, I became acquainted with Chinese culture and found it fascinating. So I decided to stay here and start my own business, " he said.

After graduation, Tihanyi opened a wine store in Tianjin to introduce Hungarian culture, especially, wine culture, to the Chinese people. "It is important for more people to realize that China and Hungary share more similarities than differences," he said, adding that some Chinese idioms and customs remind him of some traditional languages used in Hungary.

Tihanyi believes that international students should come to China to see how fast China is developing and how safe Chinese society is. He applauded the closer relationship between China and Hungary in all respects, which extends beyond diplomatic ties. "Tianjin is my second home, and I plan to establish a Hungarian cultural center here in the hopes of elevating the level of friendship between our two countries," he said.