Beijing (TDI): King Felipe VI of Spain and President Xi Jinping formalized a series of cooperation agreements across trade, culture, and technology as the Spanish Monarch visited China for the first time since ascending the throne.
The visit also becomes the first state trip by a Spanish monarch to China in 18 years, signaling Madrid’s intent to pivot toward Beijing as it pursues foreign investment and trade expansion.
China threw a grand ceremonial welcome for the King. At the Great Hall of the People, Xi delivered his remarks expressing China’s readiness to build a “comprehensive strategic partnership” with Spain. “The world needs more constructive forces dedicated to peace and development,” Xi told Felipe during their meeting.
“The friendship between Spain and China undoubtedly benefits both peoples and is consistent with two countries with a long history and a global vocation,” Felipe told Xi.
Both sides signed 10 documents to collaborate on language-exchange programs, boost Spanish exports, and expand cooperation in emerging fields such as green energy and artificial intelligence.
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China said it will import more high-quality Spanish goods and jointly explore third-party markets, including those in Latin America.
Spain, the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy, has steadily repositioned itself toward China, even as broader EU policy remains cautious in the face of US concerns.
For Spain, Chinese technology and investment align with its ambition to expand renewable-energy capacity and modernize strategic industries; areas where Beijing is already active in Spain, such as battery manufacturing and green hydrogen infrastructure.
King Felipe used his opening remarks at a business forum in Chengdu to stress that a strong bilateral relationship must rest on “trust, openness, and legal security” to facilitate Spanish firms’ access to the Chinese market.
Spain’s engagement with China comes against the backdrop of US pressure on NATO spending; to which Madrid has strongly reacted.
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