Spain and China will work to ‘expand cooperation’ following the implementation of global tariffs by US President Donald Trump.
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez is in Asia this week to meet with leaders in China and Vietnam in a bid to increase trade with the powerhouse economies.
It comes after Spain’s Ibex 35 suffered the biggest fall since the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic on Monday – a direct result of Trump’s baseline 10% tax on all foreign imports and the extra 20% levy on goods coming from EU nations.
Ahead of Sanchez’s meeting on Tuesday, the Chinese government said Spain is ‘at the forefront’ of the superpower’s relations with the wider EU.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian noted it was the third visit by Sanchez in as many years.
He told Chinese news agency Xinhua: ‘Spain is an important partner for China in terms of cooperation within the European Union (EU).
‘The two sides have always maintained a spirit of mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit, and mutually beneficial results.
‘Bilateral ties are at the forefront of China’s relations with European countries.’
He said 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between China and Spain.
He said Beijing wants to take advantage of the ‘opportunity’ presented by Sanchez’s visit to ‘deepen mutual strategic trust’ and ‘expand cooperation.’
Lin hopes both countries can ‘work together to address global challenges’ and ‘promote further development of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership from a new starting point.’
Sanchez’s visits this week have adopted a marked commercial focus amid the ongoing tariff war with the US.
The PSOE leader will be looking to increase trade in between Spanish companies and both China and Vietnam.
Among the sectors hoping to expand into the Chinese market are pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and agriculture.
