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<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-11/Right-time-to-further-China-Spain-relations-1wO5KyVGDM4/img/f5a752ce62b344b68822e332b3a9ac44/f5a752ce62b344b68822e332b3a9ac44.jpeg' alt='Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez delivers a speech during the inauguration of the Spain-China Business Meeting in Shanghai, China, September 10, 2024. /CFP'
Editor’s note: Zhu Rui is an assistant research fellow at the Institute of European Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The article reflects the author’s opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s visit to Beijing from September 8 to September 11 has long been anticipated as a journey for friendship and cooperation.
It is not common for a prime minister to make official visits to a country for two consecutive years. This – as well as the frequent high-level exchanges among both countries’ leaderships that have been maintained in recent years – has set a very positive tone for the upcoming chapter of another 50 fruitful years of the relations between China and Spain.
The importance of bilateral dialogues as well as the tangible benefits brought by practical cooperation between China and European countries has been a good model of friendly international interactions for others. In fact, fostering relations with China has consistently been a priority in the foreign policy of successive Spanish governments.
“Friendship with China” is not only a cross-party consensus within Spain’s political circles but also a widely recognized public sentiment shared across the Spanish society.
Spain benefiting from bilateral relations
It remains a vivid memory for most Spanish people when China purchased a substantial amount of government bonds to help revitalize Spain’s economy when it was severely hit by the international financial crisis.
The two countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership has always been more than something just on paper.
For the past decade, freight trains via the world’s longest Yiwu-Madrid freight railway route have been continuously delivering jamón (Spanish ham), wine, olive oil and more other Spanish signature goods to Chinese households, contributing to new trade records one after another.
In 2023 alone, the bilateral trade value reached $48.6 billion. China has become Spain’s largest trading partner outside the European Union. Enterprises and investments from China have been widely welcomed and also have been seen sustainably growing in Spain.
In addition to businesses, the two giant pandas, Jin Xi and Zhu Yu, arrived at their new home in Madrid earlier this year. They have received warm welcome from the Spanish public.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-11/Right-time-to-further-China-Spain-relations-1wO5KyVGDM4/img/c7844739c7e54b88bb66bf1894d547d0/c7844739c7e54b88bb66bf1894d547d0.jpeg' alt='A freight train leaves from Yiwu, China, to Madrid, Spain, March 9, 2023. /CFP'
Spain advancing Spain-China and Europe-China relations
Spain has been actively responding to China’s international cooperation initiatives.
In 2015, it became one of the founding members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
In 2017, Mariano Rajoy, its then prime minister led a visiting delegation to Beijing and attended the inaugural meeting of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, where Spain exchanged opinions on the possibilities of developing the New Silk Road project seeking win-win development for all with worldwide participants.
What’s more, during its multiple presidencies of the European Economic Community as well as the Council of the European Union, Spain has worked very proactively and consistently to promote relations with China at the European level.
Back in the early 1990s, Spain played a key role in bridging Europe-China relations and helping lift European Union’s economic sanctions against China.
Spain’s conduct to reinforce Europe-China relations within the EU’s framework is believed to be due to its independent stance in China-related policies, which have always prioritized cooperation over confrontation.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-11/Right-time-to-further-China-Spain-relations-1wO5KyVGDM4/img/64dd86589089461c859fbee469039e0b/64dd86589089461c859fbee469039e0b.jpeg' alt='A tourist bus drives by the Sagrada Familia Church in Barcelona, Spain, August 21, 2024. /CFP'
Potential and promising outlook for Spain and China
Spain’s friendly attitude towards China reflects its pragmatic spirit – seeing China more as a partner than a competitor.
Since the beginning of this year, the Spanish media have widely reported the lowered entry threshold for specific agricultural goods’ imports which has greatly encouraged husbandry and beyond.
Given China’s vast market potential, expanding Spain’s agricultural exports to China is undoubtedly a win-win strategy for both sides.
While diplomatic relations are enhanced by cooperative dialogues and trade relations by business practices, people-to-people exchanges between Spain and China have been more readily and perceptibly realized in the tourism sector.
Visitors from China to Spain have led the world in per capita spending, exceeding 3,000 euros ($3,314).
With its tourism industry now in full recovery, Spain is more eager than ever to accommodate Chinese tourists and to introduce Spain to the Chinese public better. During Sanchez’s visit to China, Spain just opened a new Cervantes Institute in Shanghai, becoming the first European country in China to run more than one national cultural centers.
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