The Chinese president, Xi Jinpinginvited the kings Philip VI And Letizia visit your country next year. The Asian president’s goal is to strengthen and “deepen” relations with Spain, taking advantage of the fact that 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the strategic partnership that the two countries signed in 2005, concluding several trade and other agreements.
The formal invitation was conveyed by Xi to the Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchezduring their meeting this Monday. This is the second time that Sánchez has visited the Asian giant in just over a year and the visit is precisely focused on trade issues.
According to the national news agency “affectionate greetings” from the kings to Xi and his wifewhich they received on a state visit in 2018.
Xi argued that Spain and China “must adhere to the original intention of establishing diplomatic relations based on mutual respect and equal treatment, adopt a holistic and long-term vision and add new dimensions to bilateral relations.”
For his part, Sánchez stressed that his return to Beijing a year and a half later “highlights the excellent state of our bilateral population and the richness of our exchanges.” “The purpose of my visit is to further deepen our bilateral relations based on mutual respect and recognition,” the Chinese president added.
In 2005, Spain and China concluded several agreements with the “firm will” to intensify relations between companies of the two countriesFor Spanish companies, Moncloa then interpreted that this would mean receiving revenues close to 900 million euros in the next 10 years.
They also reached a phytosanitary agreement to allow Spain to sell citrus fruits to China, another to boost Chinese tourism in Spain, “intensify” cultural relations through the Cervantes Institute, another extradition agreement and the then president, José Luis Rodriguez Zapateropledged to continue working to ensure that the European Union lifts the embargo on arms sales to China.
Today, the situation is different, but it has echoes. Sánchez proposed to Xi on Monday to offer “constructive work” on the part of Spain so that relations between the Asian country and the European Union are richer and more balanced and that their differences are resolved through dialogue.
Sánchez insisted that “a trade war would benefit no one,” referring to the two countries’ recent actions. Beijing announced an anti-dumping investigation into some imports of pork and pork products from the European Union in June in response to Brussels’ tariffs on Chinese vehicles. The move worries Spain, as Spain’s pork sector exported to China is worth 1,223 million euros and could be affected.
In addition to Spain’s economic interests, Sánchez is trying to act as an international intermediary, “exploring ways to establish a positive agenda”, bilateral, European and Western with China, as this newspaper already explained.
