Sánchez defends Spanish pork in Beijing and rejects a trade war between the EU and China

Eduardo González The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, advocated yesterday in Beijing for a negotiated solution to the tariff crisis between China and the EU, which could affect Spanish pork, and warned of the need to avoid a trade war between the two blocks, because “it would not benefit anyone”. Sánchez began his second official trip to China yesterday in the last year and a half. In the capital, Beijing, he was received by President Xi Jinping; Prime Minister Li Qiang; and the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, Zhao Leji. He also inaugurated the Ninth Spain-China Forum and the Spain-China Business Advisory Council (CAE) and held a bilateral meeting with the Chinese Association of Automobile Manufacturers and other leading companies in the sector. During his meeting with Xi, which was followed by a dinner offered by the President of the People's Republic of China at the Diaoyutai Palace (intended for visits by high dignitaries in China), the two leaders pledged to continue promoting relations in areas of shared interest and Sánchez assured that, although the positions of Spain and China do not fully coincide on many issues, our country will maintain a constructive willingness to dialogue and cooperate to seek consensual solutions that benefit all parties and also Europe. In this regard, the president assured that Spain wants to work so that relations between China and the EU are “as close, rich and balanced as possible”, based on mutual trust and greater reciprocity. “In an increasingly complex global geopolitical and economic context, we must work together to resolve differences through negotiation, in a spirit of dialogue and collaboration, and within multilateral frameworks”, in order to “seek solutions that are beneficial to all parties”, he added. Sánchez and Xi also addressed the situation in Ukraine and Palestine and the president of the Government reiterated, as on previous occasions, that “the influence of China as a country committed to peace is fundamental to try to resolve the conflicts that unfortunately affect the planet”. At the end of the meeting, President Xi made a formal invitation to the King and Queen of Spain to visit China next year, according to Moncloa. Defence of the pork sector before Li Qiang Previously, the President of the Government was received by the Prime Minister, Li Qiang, before whom he defended “a fair trade order that allows our economies to grow and benefit our industries and citizens” and with whom he addressed the cultural, scientific and educational links that unite Spain and China. At the end of the meeting, seven agreements were signed on green development, bilateral trade and investment and the promotion of culture, education and scientific research. At this same meeting, Sánchez and Li addressed the Chinese decision, announced last June, to open an anti-dumping investigation (unfair competition) against certain imports of pork and derivatives from the European Union, in response to Brussels' decision to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. This measure could especially affect Spain, the main European exporter of pork to China. During the meeting with Li, according to sources from Moncloa informed the EFE agency, the head of the Executive defended the high standards of the pork sector in Spain and expressed his desire that this matter be resolved through dialogue and mutual understanding. For his part, Li Qiang expressed his concern about the European tariffs on Chinese electric cars, assured that all subsidies to the Chinese automobile industry comply with the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and regretted that China is treated differently in this matter compared to other countries, such as the United States or Canada. At the end of the meeting, the two leaders showed their intention to reach an agreement through dialogue and cooperation. However, the meaning of Spain's vote during the debate in the European Union on tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles was not addressed. The possible trade conflict between the EU and China also came to light during the rest of Pedro Sánchez's visit to Beijing. The President of the Government began the day with the inauguration of the Ninth China-Spain Forum, organised by the Spain-China Council Foundation and in which political, economic, academic and cultural actors from both countries discussed issues of great interest for bilateral relations, such as green innovation, the protection of biodiversity and the prevention of environmental pollution and cultural and tourism exchanges. During his speech, Sánchez advocated promoting tourism ties between the two countries. "We must continue working to improve air connectivity between our two countries and facilitate the granting of visas, an objective to which the growth of our consular network undoubtedly contributes, with the city of Chengdu as the most recent example," he said. "Our objective, our aspiration, is that more and more Chinese citizens can get to know Spain," he added. Later, President Sánchez inaugurated the Spain-China Business Advisory Council (CAE), created in 2018 and made up of 22 large Spanish companies and 21 Chinese companies. During his speech, the President of the Government warned that “measures such as the imposition of additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles represent a challenge for everyone.” For this reason, he assured, Spain will work towards a negotiated and agreed solution within the framework of the WTO and defended a negotiated solution that would allow for the creation of greater equality of conditions and promote the development of the European industry in collaboration with Chinese companies in the sector, because “a trade war would not benefit anyone. “In this environment, it is vital that Spain and China maintain a constructive dialogue based on mutual respect,” he added.

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