Beijing relies on Spain to defend its “One China” principle

Eduardo González Authorities in the People’s Republic of China have once again used a bilateral meeting with the Spanish government to justify a possible annexation of Taiwan, this time during the official visit of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, whom they have credited with Spain’s supposed support for the “One China principle.” “Spain is committed to the One China principle,” reads the press release issued by the Chinese Presidency on the occasion of Pedro Sánchez’s meeting with President Xi Jinping, which took place this Tuesday as part of the Prime Minister’s fourth official visit to the Asian giant in the last four years. For his part, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun stated this Wednesday, April 15, at his daily press conference, in response to a question about Pedro Sánchez’s official visit, that “Spain has reaffirmed its adherence to the One China principle.” The same situation occurred during Pedro Sánchez’s previous visits to China. The head of the Spanish government has traveled to China four times in the last four years. The previous trips took place in March 2023, September 2024, and April 2025, and on each occasion, the Chinese government's press release included the statement "Spain firmly adheres to the One China policy." Furthermore, in February 2024, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi declared, after meeting in Córdoba with his Spanish counterpart, José Manuel Albares, that his country appreciated Spain's firm adherence to the "One China" policy. Spain, like most countries, has not recognized Taiwan, a territory that maintains an Economic and Commercial Office in Madrid that acts as an unofficial embassy. However, Pedro Sánchez made no mention of the "One China" principle this Tuesday at the press conference following his meeting with Xi Jinping. He declared that "bilateral relations between China and Spain are in very good health" and announced that the two countries had decided to elevate their political dialogue to the level of "Strategic Diplomatic Dialogue," the same mechanism "that Chinese authorities use with countries with which they maintain a closer and more stable relationship," such as France and Germany. The Chinese government also took advantage of an official visit by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz last February to assert, in its press release, that Berlin "firmly supports the One China policy." Two months earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron affirmed during a press conference in Beijing, after meeting with Xi, that his country "remains committed to the One China policy."

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