The United States’ ambassador to Spain, Benjamin León Jr., has warned Madrid to tread carefully as it strengthens ties with China, urging the Spanish government to keep Beijing out of strategic sectors such as telecommunications, defence and data infrastructure.
Speaking on Wednesday at a breakfast briefing organised by the Nueva Economía Fórum in Madrid, León expressed concern that Chinese companies linked to Huawei had secured public contracts in Spain, describing the technology giant as posing ‘an unacceptable risk’ to US national security.
‘I don’t think that attains the level of security at which Spain and the United States are exchanging (information),’ León said. ‘If Spain ensures that China is kept out of critical areas, why not negotiate (with Beijing). But I see that they are starting to penetrate into critical areas and Spain must be really careful about this.’
In one of his first major public appearances since arriving in Madrid in February, the ambassador accused China of trying to dominate key technologies and expand its geopolitical influence through unfair practices.
‘China seeks to dominate critical technologies. It uses unfair trade practices and economic coercion to expand its strategic influence. And that poses real risks to our supply chains, our research, and our security,’ he said, while calling on European countries to defend their research, intellectual property and democratic values.
China has repeatedly rejected accusations from Washington over espionage and unfair trade practices.
León’s comments came against the backdrop of increasingly strained relations between Donald Trump’s administration and Spain’s left-leaning government led by socialist Pedro Sánchez, particularly over defence spending and Madrid’s refusal to allow US forces to use Spanish military bases and airspace during the conflict with Iran. ALSO READ: Spain blocks its airspace to US military flights linked to the war in Iran.
The ambassador defended Trump’s criticism of the Sánchez administration while seeking to distinguish between the Spanish government and the Spanish people. ALSO READ: Trump vows to ‘cut off all trade’ with Spain over Iran stance: ‘We don’t want anything to do with Spain’.
‘It’s not against the Spanish people, it’s against the government,’ León said.
‘When there is a relationship as deep as the one between Spain and the US, there are differences between governments. When President Trump has referred to Spain, he has been comparing Spain – speaking of NATO – with other countries. He has always said, at the end of that comment, that the best and most positive thing about Spain is the Spanish people. And it is nothing against the Spanish people, it is against the government, because of that frustration. And I think he is right.’ ALSO READ: Pedro Sánchez dismisses report of Pentagon memo suggesting Spain’s NATO suspension.
Washington has been angered by Spain’s refusal to commit to NATO’s target of raising defence spending to 5% of GDP, with León describing Trump’s frustration as justified. ALSO READ: Pedro Sánchez responds to Donald Trump: ‘No to war’.
‘Spain is the only government that has said it will not fulfill what it said at that meeting that it would fulfill,’ he said.
‘That’s President Trump’s frustration. Let’s not talk about subsequent events that fuelled that frustration a little further,’ he added, in an apparent reference to Madrid’s refusal to allow the use of Spanish bases during the Iran conflict.
Trump has previously described Spain as a ‘terrible’ ally and has threatened trade measures against Madrid, including the possibility of sanctions, embargoes and cuts to commercial relations.
León, however, sought to downplay fears of a serious rupture between the two allies or the possibility of economic or military retaliation.
‘As I see it, there will always be a compromise between Spain and the United States … One way or the other we will find ways to keep working and improving our relationship,’ he said.
Asked whether the United States could reduce its military presence at the naval bases of Rota and Morón in southern Spain, León declined to speculate, saying that ‘the only person with the authority [to answer] as commander-in-chief of the US military is President Trump’.
Nevertheless, he described the two installations as ‘fundamental bases for our collective defence’.
‘We live in very dangerous times. Europe must be prepared to defend itself. The US will be at its side,’ he said. ALSO READ: Europe must take defence into its own hands amid US NATO threats, says Spain’s foreign minister.
León, who was personally selected by Trump, has arrived in Spain during one of the most delicate periods in bilateral relations in recent years. Sánchez has repeatedly clashed with Trump over defence policy, opposition to military action against Iran, and Spain’s outspoken support for Gaza and Palestine.
The ambassador recently met far-right Vox leader Santiago Abascal (see below), officially ‘to better understand the priorities and vision of Vox regarding the US-Spain relationship’.
According to Spanish media, the meeting was also to ‘discuss alleged corruption surrounding the Sánchez government’, which has been hit by a series of scandals involving figures close to the prime minister. Spain’s socialist-led administration is now one of the few major left-leaning governments remaining in Europe. ALSO READ: Andalusia leaves Sánchez politically weakened as Spain edges further towards a PP-Vox era.
The ambassador also had meetings with Alberto Núñez Feijóo (see below), the head of Spain’s main right-wing opposition, the People’s Party (PP), as well as with the PP president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso (see below), to ‘better understand the priorities of the PP and to thank them for their contributions to strengthening relations between the United States and Spain’, as well as discuss ‘their ongoing cooperation in initiatives commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States’.
Asked by reporters on Wednesday at the breakfast briefing whether Trump could visit Spain soon, León appeared doubtful.
‘I don’t think the [Spanish] government has made any moves to invite the President. If the Spanish president hasn’t received me, I don’t think he’s inviting President Trump,’ he said.
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🇪🇸Señala Benjamín León Jr que “una España fuerte hace a Europa más fuerte”
— New Economy Forum (@NewEconomyForum) May 27, 2026
👤Recuerda que @realDonaldTrump “está frustrado” con que España no vaya a cumplir el compromiso de inversión en defensa
📺Síguelo👇https://t.co/YCFZ06pbTG pic.twitter.com/F1JSSqodMa
El embajador León se reunió esta semana con el presidente del @PPopular, @NunezFeijoo, para conocer mejor las prioridades del Partido Popular y agradecer sus contribuciones al fortalecimiento de las relaciones entre Estados Unidos y España. pic.twitter.com/pCGQJl7R18
— U.S. Embassy Madrid 🇺🇸🇪🇸 (@USembassyMadrid) May 24, 2026
El embajador León se reunió esta semana con la presidenta de la Comunidad de Madrid, @IdiazAyuso, para agradecer el apoyo y acogida de la @ComunidadMadrid a la misión diplomática de Estados Unidos, así como para conversar sobre su continua cooperación en iniciativas que… pic.twitter.com/evtCECreET
— U.S. Embassy Madrid 🇺🇸🇪🇸 (@USembassyMadrid) May 24, 2026
El pasado viernes, el embajador León Jr. se reunió con el presidente de Vox, @Santi_ABASCAL, para conocer mejor las prioridades y la visión de @vox_es sobre la relación EE.UU.-España pic.twitter.com/ukUlP2UAf3
— U.S. Embassy Madrid 🇺🇸🇪🇸 (@USembassyMadrid) May 24, 2026
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