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Jul 19, 06:45 PM

Former Hungarian Foreign Minister Szijjarto Joins BYD

#The Strategic Triad—Mexico, Thailand, and Hungary as Hubs for Chinese Automakers’ Global Expansion#Chinese Automaker Global Expansion and Competition#Building Deep Local Talent Ecosystems in Overseas Subsidiaries

[Personnel Change] Former Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has joined BYD, assuming responsibility for the company's global external relations and new business expansion.

Key Development: Szijjarto Resigns Parliamentary Seat to Join Chinese Automaker

Peter Szijjarto announced on July 15, 2026, his resignation from Hungary’s National Assembly, officially joining BYD as an executive overseeing the group’s external relations and expansion of new business lines. He praised BYD as “one of the most successful automotive companies of the past 20 years.”

Strategic Foundation: Deepening China-Hungary Collaboration in New Energy

Szijjarto served as Hungary’s Foreign Minister from 2014 until May 2026, acting as a key architect of Prime Minister Orbán’s “Eastern Opening” policy. He played a pivotal role in facilitating BYD’s 2023 announcement to build its first European passenger vehicle plant in Szeged and drove the company’s decision in 2025 to relocate its European regional headquarters and R&D center to Budapest.

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