Eduardo González
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, said yesterday at the Boao Forum for Asia that Spain welcomes “with satisfaction the intensification of diplomatic contacts of the Chinese authorities with leaders from around the world” and wants to “contribute to these efforts” because it is “essential to rebuild dialogue, solidarity and cooperation” to put an end to “economic fragmentation and war”.
“Humanity is facing global challenges of unprecedented magnitude: a climate emergency, a pandemic and Russia’s brutal and illegal aggression against Ukraine, which is causing a severe humanitarian crisis, food insecurity, inflation and growing debt distress in an increasing number of vulnerable countries,” said the chief executive during his speech at the opening ceremony of the so-called ‘Asian Davos’, which since 2001 meets annually in Hainan, in southern China, to discuss political and economic issues.
“In this context, the international community needs responsible and constructive actors, and that is precisely what Spain wants to be, first of all, as a safe and open country, but also as the next country to assume the Presidency of the European Union, as part of the Ibero-American community and as an active member of all major multilateral organizations and forums,” he continued.
“In a few days, I have attended the European Council in Brussels, the Ibero-American Summit in the Dominican Republic, and now I am here on an official visit to China,” he recalled. “In less than a week, I will have met with more than 40 leaders from three different continents, and let me be clear: in all the meetings I have heard the same yearning for peace, stability and prosperity. No one wants economic fragmentation or war,” he said.
“It is essential to rebuild trust through dialogue, solidarity and cooperation” and, therefore, “I welcome the intensification of diplomatic contacts of the Chinese authorities with leaders around the world”, which “reflects a high degree of responsibility, and we want to contribute to these efforts”, said Sánchez.
The President of the Government pronounced these words just a day before meeting in Beijing with the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, to address, among other issues, the Chinese twelve-point proposal to put an end to the war conflict caused by Russia in Ukraine. Sanchez is the first Western leader to visit Beijing since Xi’s recent trip to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and therefore the first to personally address with the Chinese leader (by any means) his proposal on Ukraine.
“Respecting the sovereignty of each country and respecting the rules”
“Our views may differ in some areas, but we must continue to build bridges and strengthen mutual trust,” Pedro Sanchez said. “China and the EU, as large markets and geopolitical entities, must compete in some areas and cooperate in others,” he added. However, he cautioned, “Let me be frank, we will continue to defend European values, principles and views with an independent perspective, and with a keen awareness of our objectives, interests and priorities. We will not give them up.”
“Our companies are often competitors, but also partners in the development of transport, energy and healthcare infrastructure projects not only for Eurasia, but also for the world,” he continued. “Thus, recent investments by large Chinese construction groups in Spanish engineering companies are creating opportunities for the development of joint projects in Latin America,” he stressed.
“We must continue to deepen this mutually beneficial collaboration. But we have to do so while respecting the sovereignty of each country and respecting the rules,” the Prime Minister warned. “This means leveling the playing field and ensuring full reciprocity between partners. It means providing a stable regulatory framework that allows domestic and foreign companies to compete on a level playing field. It means opening up the East so that the West does not have to close in on itself,” he added.
“I firmly believe that relations between Europe and China – and, by extension, between Spain and China – need not be confrontational. There is ample room for mutually beneficial cooperation. We must remain partners, economically and beyond,” stated Pedro Sánchez.
President Sánchez’s participation in the Boao Forum took place within the framework of an official visit that includes, this Friday, meetings with the three main authorities of the Chinese State: President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Zhao Leji. Sánchez also attended yesterday, accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, the official lunch on the occasion of the Boao Economic Forum, and held bilateral meetings with the Managing Director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, and with senior representatives of the companies Astra Zeneca and Mitsubishi.
