Multifront Exchanges Augur Well for Next Chapter of China-Spain Relations

Around Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s official visit to China, much of the global media has been engrossed with the “trade dispute” between China and the EU over electric vehicles and China’s anti-dumping probe into European pork imports, foreboding its escalation into a trade war. However, after arriving in Beijing on September 8, Sanchez wrote on his X account, “Our aim is to maintain the political momentum of the bilateral relationship, strengthen economic and trade relations and support Spanish culture, education and science in China,” dismissing such speculations.

When Chinese President Xi Jinping met Sanchez Monday, his message was that the two nations should adhere to their original intention of establishing diplomatic ties based on mutual respect and equal treatment, take a holistic and long-term view of the bilateral ties, and add new dimensions to them. When Premier Li Qiang met his visiting counterpart, they agreed to strengthen exchanges in a wide range of fields from new energy and digital economy to space, culture, and education, with several bilateral cooperation agreements signed.

This is Sanchez’s second visit to China in two years, showing the importance he gives to the relationship, which reached the 50th anniversary of its formal establishment in 2023, and next year will observe the 20th anniversary of its elevation to a comprehensive strategic partnership. 

On September 9, Sanchez and Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong opened the ninth meeting of the China-Spain Forum, co-sponsored by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Spain-China Council Foundation. The forum has a role in consolidating the bilateral relationship and the recent session continued the work with its focus on local-level cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, tourism, culture, education, trade, and industrial innovation.

Liu pointed out three key directions for the two partners to work together: improving bilateral trade and investment cooperation; expanding cooperation in green development; and accentuating people-to-people exchange and cooperation. 

China is Spain’s largest trade partner outside the EU, and Spain is China’s fifth largest trade partner within the EU. The bilateral trade expanded from US $37.9 billion in 2020 to US $48.6 billion in 2023, according to the China Chamber of International Commerce. 

“Economic cooperation is one of the most important aspects of the bilateral ties,” said former Spanish ambassador Manuel Valencia, who is now vice president of Técnicas Reunidas International, a leading engineering and construction corporation in the energy sector. Valencia spoke of the organization’s cooperation projects with China in promoting green energy in China and third countries, stressing China’s role in promoting green energy around the world and creating development opportunities for other countries. 

People-to-people exchanges are another facet that has been gaining steam. The inauguration of Spain’s consulate in Chengdu in southwest China in March 2022 has greatly facilitated people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. “We hope more Chinese citizens will visit Spain,” Sanchez said at the forum. He also promised to simplify the visa regime by working together with China, and predicted bilateral tourism will outperform expectations in 2024.

Chinese company Shenzhen Airlines’ maiden direct flight on August 28, 2023 between Shenzhen in south China and Barcelona, Spain, marked another new addition to the Spanish city’s connections with China. At the forum, Maria Eugenia Gay, second deputy mayor of Barcelona, emphasized how Barcelona’s sister-city partnerships with Shanghai and Shenzhen and cooperation partnerships with other Chinese cities like Guangzhou and Chengdu have promoted the Spanish city’s exchanges with China, boosting mutual development in many fields. The international events hosted by Barcelona like the Mobile World Congress and Smart City Expo World Congress  have many Chinese companies participating. “All this has greatly enhanced people’s mutual understanding and exchanges between the two countries,” Gay said. 

At the forum Sanchez announced that a Chinese architecture exhibition will be held in Spain next year. 

The dynamic exchanges in an array of fields underpin the sound development of the bilateral ties. “Despite the divergence on some issues, we both share the willingness to have dialogues and negotiations with each other. We commit to seek solutions on the basis of mutual benefit and consensus,” Sanchez told the forum.