Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday called on China to take on a stronger role in tackling global challenges, while warning that its trade relationship with Europe has become ‘unsustainable’, as he began a three-day visit to Beijing.
Speaking at Tsinghua University during his fourth trip to China in as many years, Sánchez urged Beijing to step up on issues ranging from climate change and global health to security, defence and the regulation of artificial intelligence and nuclear weapons.
‘For example, by demanding as it is doing, that international law be respected and that the conflicts in Lebanon, Iran, Gaza and the West Bank and Ukraine cease,’ he said.
He added that Europe must also increase its own efforts, particularly ‘now that the United States has decided to withdraw from many of these fronts’.
Sánchez’s visit comes at a time when Western nations are seeking to maintain engagement with China despite ongoing trade and security tensions. Leaders from several countries, including Britain, Canada, Germany and Ireland, have also travelled to Beijing in recent months amid uncertainty over US policy under Donald Trump. ALSO READ: Sánchez to visit China again, amid rising tensions with US over Iran conflict.
At the same time, the Spanish leader struck a more cautionary tone on trade, describing the imbalance between China and the European Union as untenable in the long term.
‘We need China … to open up so that Europe does not have to close itself off,’ Sánchez said.
He called on Beijing to ‘help us correct the current trade deficit … A deficit that is unbalanced, which grew by a further 18% last year alone. And which is unsustainable for our societies in the medium and long term’.
Spain’s trade deficit with China reached €42.3 billion last year and now accounts for 74% of the country’s overall deficit. Madrid estimates the gap has more than doubled in four years, approaching $50 billion in 2025.
Despite this, Spain remains one of Europe’s most vocal advocates of closer economic ties with China, positioning itself as a bridge between Beijing and the 27-member EU. Government sources say Sánchez hopes to secure greater access for Spanish agricultural and industrial goods, boost exports, and explore joint ventures in technology.
He is also aiming to attract Chinese investment into Spain’s fast-growing economy and gain access to critical raw materials, while reinforcing cooperation to build what he described as a ‘balanced, globalised economy that generates shared prosperity’.
During his visit, Sánchez is scheduled to tour the headquarters of Chinese tech giant Xiaomi and a technology exhibition at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. On Tuesday, he is set to hold talks with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, with discussions expected to focus on geopolitical issues as well as trade.
The trip follows a previous visit in April 2025, when China agreed to expand access for Spanish products such as pork and cherries. Spanish exports to China rose 6.8% last year, according to government figures. ALSO READ: Pedro Sánchez heads to China and Vietnam in wake of US tariffs storm.
China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning described Spain as ‘an important partner of China within the EU’, saying Sánchez’s visit would help ‘promote bilateral relations to an even higher level’¡.
The visit also comes against a backdrop of diplomatic tension with Washington. Trump recently threatened to cut trade with Spain after Madrid refused to allow US military bases to be used for strikes against Iran. ALSO READ: Trump vows to ‘cut off all trade’ with Spain over Iran stance: ‘We don’t want anything to do with Spain’.
Sánchez, who is travelling with his wife Begoña Gómez and Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, is expected to use the trip to further strengthen ties with Beijing while pushing for a rebalancing of trade that he says is essential for long-term stability.
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Hoy en la Universidad de @Tsinghua_Uni he defendido que el mundo ya no cabe en viejos mapas.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) April 13, 2026
Un mundo multipolar necesita un sistema multilateral robusto. https://t.co/4h1BLfd10X pic.twitter.com/TznHvcN3ce
Hoy he visitado junto a @leijun, @Xiaomi, una exhibición de los productos más innovadores de su marca.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) April 13, 2026
Le he trasladado que España ofrece un ecosistema industrial y logístico competitivo para proyectos de cooperación tecnológica al más alto nivel entre empresas chinas y… pic.twitter.com/U5G17LKgpJ
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