When Agosto Bodo took a job at a Chinese law firm’s Budapest office last year, he found himself catapulted into the centre of a China-fuelled investment boom.
Advertisement
Yingke Law Firm, a major player in Chinese corporate law, had opened the new office to serve a wave of Chinese companies looking to open factories in Hungary. And the business was quickly gaining momentum.
“We helped our clients with sourcing labour, looking for offices – we provided the whole service to help them overcome the language and culture barrier,” Bodo said.
For Bodo, who started as an intern before becoming a director’s assistant, it was an eye-opening experience. He quickly had to learn a new way of doing business, which often revolved around boozy banquets with Chinese executives.
“I kept my alcohol consumption moderate,” Bodo laughed. “Chinese clients are different from European ones in that they want to know you more personally.”
Advertisement
By the time he left to start a master’s degree in late 2024, Yingke’s Budapest outpost had already signed 10 clients – a mix of new business and existing Chinese clients looking to expand into Hungary, Bodo recalled.
Hungary has emerged as Europe’s dominant hotspot for Chinese investment over the past few years, edging out the continent’s biggest economies to become the go-to destination for Chinese companies looking to set up European factories.