Eduardo González
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, received the Vice President of the People’s Republic of China, Han Zheng, in Madrid this Wednesday. They discussed, among other issues, the need to improve economic and trade relations between China and the European Union in the context of the trade war launched by US President Donald Trump.
During the meeting, Sánchez and Han analyzed the current context of trade tensions, and the President of the Government insisted that “a trade war benefits no one” and that Spain is committed to “an international order based on rules, free trade, and economic openness,” according to a press release from the Spanish government (the meeting was not covered by the press, except for news reporters).
Pedro Sánchez also commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between the European Union and China, a milestone that, in his opinion, “will serve to improve economic and trade relations between the two blocs.” He also conveyed to the Vice President the importance of “the European Union and China moving toward relations based on trust and respect.” China is one of the countries in the world hardest hit by the trade tariffs imposed by Donald Trump.
Regarding bilateral relations, Pedro Sánchez defended “a positive agenda based on mutual respect and reciprocity” and highlighted “the success” of the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, coinciding with his recent visit to Beijing last April.
The two leaders also discussed economic relations and the investment and business opportunities between the two countries. The President of the Government insisted that, although trade relations have grown substantially, “a certain imbalance” remains. Pedro Sánchez also highlighted the great potential for collaboration in sectors where China is at the forefront, such as the automotive industry, batteries, photovoltaic energy, and green hydrogen. After his meeting with Sánchez, Han Zheng will be received in audience by the King on Thursday at La Zarzuela Palace.
Han’s visit comes two months after Pedro Sánchez’s official trip to Beijing, the President’s third visit to the country in just three years. During that visit, whose main objective was (in the words of the Spanish Prime Minister) to “strengthen and balance the economic and commercial relationship” to “develop balanced trade and investment relations with China, with reciprocal conditions and balanced competition,” both leaders attended the signing of several trade agreements favorable to important Spanish products such as pork and cosmetics.
During his previous visit to China, in September 2024, Pedro Sánchez expressed to President Xi Jinping and the rest of the Chinese authorities his “surprise” that the Spanish pork sector had been involved in the trade conflict between Brussels and Beijing over the imposition of tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. That trip coincided with another “trade war” between the EU and a major world power, in this case China, after Beijing opened an anti-dumping (unfair competition) investigation against certain imports of pork and pork products from the European Union in response to Brussels’ decision to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
