The Diplomat
The PSOE wants the government to strengthen relations with China, a country with which it recognises that there are differences in terms of “fundamental values”, but which it considers key in terms of trade and also in the framework of the Moncloa’s commitment to a strengthened multilateralism.
For this reason, the Socialists have presented a non-legislative proposal in this regard in the Congress of Deputies for debate in the Foreign Affairs Committee. In it, they argue that “China is a fundamental partner for Spain, and although there are major differences in our political systems and fundamental values, bilateral relations have been solid for years”.
To this end, they give as an example the fact that in the last two years the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, made a state visit in November 2018, there were political consultations at the level of secretaries of state for foreign affairs in April 2019, and subsequently the then foreign minister, Josep Borrell, travelled to China to participate in the 2nd BRI Forum that same year.
With Arancha González Laya at the helm of the portfolio, she has had several contacts during the pandemic with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, and last September Yang Jiechi, the head of foreign affairs within the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), visited Madrid. The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Cristina Gallach, also spoke with her Chinese counterpart, Qin Gang, in November.
In the PSOE’s opinion, ‘all of the above proves the importance that the Spanish government has attached to bilateral relations with China’. Furthermore, in their non-legislative proposal, they recall that during Xi’s visit, a joint declaration was signed in which a commitment was made to strengthening relations.
For this reason, they want Congress to urge the government to promote the implementation of this joint declaration “with the aim of strengthening relations in traditional areas of cooperation such as energy engineering or the automotive sector, as well as other sectors of interest for the future such as finance, food, tourism, e-commerce and sports”.
