Relations between Spain and China are expanding beyond traditional diplomatic channels. Representatives from 23 Spanish cities and more than 20 Chinese cities gathered in Yantai, in Shandong province, for the second Spain-China Mayors’ Dialogue.
The meeting highlighted the growing role of local governments in strengthening bilateral relations. It also provided a platform to explore new areas of cooperation between Spanish and Chinese cities.
The event was organised by the China Catedra Foundation and the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. More than 40 cities from both countries took part. The first edition of the dialogue was held in Chongqing in 2025.
Senior officials highlight the importance of Spain-China ties
The institutional importance of the meeting was reflected in the presence of Gerardo Pisarello, First Secretary of the Bureau of the Spanish Congress of Deputies, who led the Spanish delegation.
During the opening session, Pisarello stressed the importance of making relations between Spain and China “irreversible”. He also called for closer cooperation between local authorities to deliver tangible benefits for citizens.
For its part, the Chinese delegation included Yang Wanming, President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. Deng Yunfeng, Member of the Standing Committee and Head of the United Front Work Department of the Shandong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, also attended the event.
The opening ceremony was also attended by Zhang Mingkang, Mayor of Yantai.
Broad representation of Spanish local governments
The Spanish delegation included mayors, councillors and provincial officials from different regions of the country.
Among them was Xavier García Albiol, Mayor of Badalona, who took part in the closing session. García Albiol highlighted the importance of turning institutional relations into concrete opportunities for citizens and businesses.
Ángela Pumariega, Deputy Mayor of Gijón, and Jorge González-Palacios, Councillor for Institutional Relations and Youth, also attended the meeting. They presented the cooperation experience between Gijón and Yantai.
The two cities have maintained a friendship and cooperation agreement since 2023. Their partnership has led to initiatives involving business, universities and technology.
Other members of the Spanish delegation included Secundino Caso, Senator and Mayor of Peñarrubia; Miguel Ángel Ruiz, Vice-President of the Provincial Council of Ciudad Real and Mayor of Puertollano; Víctor Manuel López Abenza, Mayor of Puerto Lumbreras and President of the Federation of Municipalities and Provinces of the Region of Murcia; Antonio Francés, Mayor of Alcoy; José Jaime Alonso, Mayor of Fuensalida and President of the PP Mayors’ Committee in Castilla-La Mancha; and José Rafael Pascual, Mayor of San Vicente del Raspeig.
The broad composition of the delegation reflects the interest of Spanish local governments in strengthening cooperation with China.
Four key areas for Spain-China cooperation
The dialogue focused on four main areas: economic cooperation and market access, ecological transition and sustainability, smart cities and innovation, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
These areas offer opportunities for practical cooperation in investment, technological innovation, tourism, education and urban management.
At the same time, relations between individual cities can create new opportunities for companies and institutions.
The experience of Gijón and Yantai is one example. Their cooperation has already led to commercial agreements between companies and an exchange programme involving the University of Oviedo and Ludong University.
Gijón-Yantai: a model of municipal cooperation
The relationship between Gijón and Yantai stands out among the partnerships between Spanish and Chinese cities.
Both cities have strengthened their institutional contacts in recent years. Their cooperation extends from economic and tourism promotion to education, culture and technology.
This type of partnership allows Spain-China relations to develop at a local level. It also creates direct links between businesses, universities, institutions and citizens.
Local governments gain importance in Spain-China relations
The second edition of the Spain-China Mayors’ Dialogue consolidates a platform for cooperation between local governments in both countries.
The initiative comes at a time of growing engagement between Madrid and Beijing. In this context, cooperation between cities provides an additional channel alongside traditional diplomatic and political relations.
Local governments can connect administrations, businesses, universities and civil society. They can also help develop long-term partnerships based on specific projects.
The growing network of cooperation between Spanish and Chinese cities points to an increasingly diversified bilateral relationship.
City diplomacy is therefore emerging as an important complementary dimension of Spain-China relations, with the potential to generate lasting economic, technological, cultural and people-to-people ties.