<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Yesterday in Shanghai, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, said that he had conveyed to the Chinese authorities his “surprise” that the Spanish pork sector has been “involved” in the trade conflict between Brussels and Beijing over the imposition of tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. He also argued that the EU should “reconsider” its position on this matter.</strong></h4> “We have expressed to the Chinese authorities our surprise that potential sanctions have been involved in this trade negotiation against a sector that has nothing to do with the automotive sector,” said Sánchez after a visit to the Spanish technological business cluster in Kunshan, which ended his three-day official trip to the People's Republic of China. “Trade wars are of no interest to anyone and I believe that the Chinese population and the Chinese government are very aware of the value of the pork sector, so we are going to continue working to build bridges,” he continued. “Negotiations remain open, but the Spanish pork sector can be assured that the Spanish government will defend its interests,” he added. Sánchez also admitted that both the Member States and the Commission should “reconsider” their position in this conflict and “build bridges between the EU and China.” In any case, he did not clarify what the meaning of Spain's vote will be during the debate next October in the European Union on tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and limited himself to ensuring that the objective of his government is to be “constructive and try to find a compromise solution between the EU and China, because we do not need another war, in this case a trade war.” Last Monday, Pedro Sánchez and Prime Minister Li Qiang discussed in Beijing the Chinese decision, announced last June, to open an anti-dumping (unfair competition) investigation 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 particularly affect Spain, the main European exporter of pork to China. Pedro Sánchez concluded his official trip to the People's Republic of China yesterday in Shanghai with a visit to the Spanish technological business cluster of Kunshan, in the province of Suzhou, which houses an industrial park where many national companies based in China have their production plants. During the visit, Sánchez met with the CEOs and representatives of several of these companies, including Mondragón Internacional, Fagor Arrasate and Gestamp, according to Moncloa. He also saw first-hand the work they do in China and conveyed the Government's support to these companies, "present in a market as important and complex as the Chinese one." Following this visit, Sánchez offered the media a very positive assessment of his official visit to China. “In a complex geopolitical context, Spain and China have given a new boost to their bilateral relationship,” declared the head of the Executive. In his meeting with President Xi Jinping, both leaders agreed to maintain “regular dialogue at the highest level,” continued Sánchez, who assured that, despite the differences that may exist in certain areas, “the common points are more important.” For this reason, he called for cooperation, especially between Europe and China, two regions that “play a central role in the world.” In this regard, the President of the Government reiterated Spain's commitment to "build bridges and build a solid and cooperative relationship," and conveyed to President Xi Jinping and the rest of the country's interlocutors Spain's commitment to open trade between both regions and to the negotiated and agreed resolution, within the framework of the WTO, of trade conflicts, provided that the legitimate concerns of both parties are taken into account and that trade relations are developed on equal terms. "We do not want a trade war that would benefit no one," warned the President.
