Beijing, 9 March 2023 (TDI): Xi Jinping, the President of China, and King Felipe VI of Spain exchanged congratulations on the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between their countries.
In his message, President Xi emphasized the deepening of friendship, cooperation, & the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership based on mutual respect, equality & mutual benefit, which has brought tangible benefits to the people of both countries.
Also, President Xi reiterated the great importance of the development of China-Spain relations. In this context, he said that China is ready to work with King Felipe VI to take the anniversary as a new starting point.
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Along these lines, China will consolidate political mutual trust, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and enhance people-to-people bonding, to jointly write a new chapter of China-Spain friendly cooperation.
In response, King Felipe VI acknowledged the steady and smooth development of Spain-China relations over the past 50 years, with continuous bilateral cooperation in various fields, and deepening friendship between the two sides.
Moreover, King Felipe VI expressed confidence that the two countries will take advantage of this milestone to comprehensively expand friendly exchanges and practical cooperation & join hands to tackle global challenges such as climate change.
As China and Spain celebrate their 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, both countries are committed to strengthening their friendship and cooperation and working together to address common challenges.
China and Spain as Key Partners
Currently, there is no qualitative shift in Spanish-Chinese relations regarding whether COVID-19 enhanced or eroded China’s international influence. However, the crisis did affect the evolution of bilateral relations in various ways that balance each other out.
Even in times of crisis, China emerged as a crucial partner for Spain. Nevertheless, certain governance shortcomings & limitations in China’s cooperation have become apparent, leading to an increased perception of China as a threat among the Spanish public.
However, it is interesting to note that the Spanish public has identified China as its second preferred ally outside the European Union (EU), demonstrating the strength of ties between both sides.
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