Overview
- Pedro Sánchez opened Monday’s agenda with a speech at Tsinghua University where he urged China to help enforce international law in Gaza, Iran and Ukraine and to open its market to ease Spain’s €42.3 billion 2025 trade deficit with China, which he said equals 74% of Spain’s total gap.
- Beijing elevated this fourth trip in four years to official status with a state banquet and an invitation for his spouse, Begoña Gómez, and set meetings with Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and top legislator Zhao Leji for Tuesday.
- The program includes a visit to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which will grant Sánchez an honorary title, and a stop at Xiaomi’s headquarters to court investment and deepen ties in technology and innovation.
- Sánchez cast the outreach as European engagement during friction with the United States, called for reforms that shift some Western seats in global bodies to reflect today’s power balance, and Chinese state media praised Spain’s stance after Madrid restricted US use of its bases for Iran-related operations.
- China’s commerce ministry recently listed Spain as a priority country for more imports this year, a signal Madrid cites as momentum for better market access for Spanish exporters.