Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top officials on Monday, during his second trip to China in a year and a half that comes after a row over tariffs on Chinese electric cars.
The official Xinhua News Agency reported the meeting at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guest House but gave no details about what they discussed.
The socialist (PSOE) leader also attended a business forum in Beijing for Spanish and Chinese companies before traveling to Shanghai later on Monday. On Tuesday he is attending more business events and the inauguration of a Cervantes Institute, a centre that promotes Spanish language and culture.
Prior to holding talks and dining with Xi, Sánchez held talks with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang (main image) and the head of the ceremonial legislature, Zhao Leji. Sánchez arrived late on Sunday and departs on Wednesday.
Speaking at the forum in Beijing, Sánchez hailed ‘strong ties’ between China and Spain.
‘Even on those issues where our positions do not fully coincide, we maintain a constructive willingness to engage in dialogue and cooperation,’ he said on Monday in a video shared on his social media (see link below).
‘We are committed to developing a positive agenda and seeking consensual solutions that benefit all parties,’ he added.
‘Our objective is clear: to foster a balanced relationship, based on respect and reciprocity that benefits both nations,’ Sánchez said on his account on X.
Sánchez visited China in March 2023 when Spain held the rotating European Union presidency.
Spain was among the EU members that expressed support earlier this year for a 36.7% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles. The Chinese government responded by launching an investigation into imports of EU pork.
EU exports of pork products to China hit a peak of 7.4 billion euros in 2020 when Beijing had to turn abroad to satisfy domestic demand after its pig farms were decimated by a swine disease. EU pork exports to China have dropped since then, hitting 2.5 billion euros last year. Almost half of that total came from Spain.
The tension over pork has not stopped Spain from welcoming the plans of Chinese carmaker Chery to open a plant for electric vehicles in Barcelona.
Comienzo mi visita oficial a China inaugurando el Noveno Foro España-China, un espacio de encuentro para acercar nuestras sociedades y potenciar el entendimiento mutuo.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) September 9, 2024
España y China mantienen unos lazos sólidos. Nuestra Asociación Estratégica Integral es decisiva para… pic.twitter.com/Wyu8aY6FO9
He trasladado al primer ministro Li Qiang que, en un mundo con grandes oportunidades y desafíos, España quiere seguir estrechando sus relaciones con China para dar pleno contenido a nuestra Asociación Estratégica Integral.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) September 9, 2024
Queremos tender puentes para defender juntos un orden… pic.twitter.com/NYYOJU9zNo
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