(Xinhua/Li Xiang)
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday stressed the need for China and Spain to strengthen cooperation in multiple fields and encourage exchanges in various sectors, so as to achieve more results in their comprehensive strategic partnership and bring more benefits to the two peoples.
Xi made the remarks during his meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who is on an official visit to China.
GREAT IMPORTANCE GIVEN TO RELATIONSHIPS
According to Xi, despite an unstable and turbulent international context, relations between China and Spain have developed steadily, forging ties with strategic determination. An important experience of this lies in the ability to make the right decisions based on common interests.
Recalling his four visits to China in four years, Sanchez said these demonstrated the great importance attached by both sides to relations between Spain and China.
Xi called on China and Spain to always prioritize the development of bilateral relations in their respective foreign policies and support each other’s efforts to defend sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Spain firmly adheres to the one-China principle, highly appreciates China’s status as a major country, and remains deeply committed to developing a partnership between Spain and China with strategic determination, Sanchez told Xi.
ENHANCED COOPERATION
China is firmly committed to advancing Chinese modernization and has a broad vision to share development opportunities with the world through high-level opening-up, Xi said, adding that China will inject confidence and dynamism into global economic growth through its own development.
China and Spain have strong economic and commercial complementarity. China is Spain’s largest trading partner outside the European Union (EU), while Spain is an important partner for China within the bloc. According to data released by the General Administration of Customs of China, bilateral trade in goods exceeded $55 billion in 2025, recording an increase of 9.8 percent year-on-year.
Xi said China and Spain should seize opportunities and jointly seek innovation-driven development, strengthen cooperation in areas such as trade, new energy and smart economy, and encourage cultural, educational, scientific and sports exchanges.
Sanchez said Spain is willing to consolidate cooperation with China in trade, investment, new energy and other sectors, as well as strengthen people-to-people exchanges.
DEFENDING TRUE MULTILATERALISM
Noting that today’s world is in turmoil, facing the struggle between the rule of law and the rule of might, Xi called on China and Spain, as countries committed to principle and justice, to improve communication, consolidate mutual trust and strengthen cooperation to oppose the world’s return to the “law of the jungle”, and jointly uphold true multilateralism.
He stressed that the two countries should preserve the international system, with the United Nations at its center, as well as the international order based on international law, promote a fair and orderly multipolar world and inclusive and beneficial economic globalization for all, and advance the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity.
Mr. Sanchez said that in the face of a complex and difficult international situation, as well as multiple recurring conflicts and disputes, only by adhering to multilateralism and fostering a multipolar world can lasting peace be achieved for humanity.
Spain actively supports the four major global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping and is ready to maintain close communication and coordination with China to jointly address challenges related to international geopolitics, trade protectionism and climate change, while upholding international law and multilateralism, Sanchez said.
Spain opposes a new Cold War and attempts to decouple and break supply chains and supports strengthening communication, understanding and cooperation between Europe and China, Sanchez said, adding that the harmonious development of EU-China relations serves the common interests of both sides and contributes to global peace and stability.
