The Japan Times - Spain's Sanchez seeks closer China ties amid strains with US

The trip marks Sanchez's fourth visit to China in four years as he seeks to position Spain as a key bridge between China and the 27-member European Union.

The visit comes amid tense relations with Washington under President Donald Trump, whose tariffs and unpredictable foreign policy have raised concerns among European allies.

Leaders from Britain, Canada and Germany have recently visited Beijing, and Trump is expected to travel there in May.

Trump threatened last month to cut trade with Spain after the country denied the use of its military bases for US strikes against Iran, a key economic partner of Beijing.

Spanish government sources said a primary goal of the trip is to secure greater market access, particularly for agricultural and industrial goods, and to explore joint ventures in the technology sector.

Sanchez is also expected to use the visit to attract new investors for the eurozone's fourth-largest economy and to gain access to China's critical raw materials.

On Monday, he is scheduled to visit the headquarters of Chinese tech giant Xiaomi and tour a technology exhibit at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Sanchez is set to meet top Chinese officials, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, on Tuesday and hold a press conference.

China's exports to Spain far exceed Spanish exports to the Asian country.

Last year, Spain, with a population of around 50 million, ran a trade deficit of 42.3 billion euros ($49.1 billion) with China, a country of more than 1.4 billion people.

The government has said that Spain's exports to China rose 6.8 percent in 2025, crediting the growth to strong ties with Beijing.

During Sanchez's visit to China in April 2025, Beijing agreed to expand access for a range of Spanish products, including pork and cherries.

- Spanish 'gateway' -

Spain holds special appeal for Chinese investors, in part because its economy is growing at one of Europe's fastest rates and energy costs remain relatively low, said Claudio Feijoo, a China expert at the Technical University of Madrid.

"China perceives Spain as relatively friendly, less confrontational toward China than other countries and likely more independent from Washington. This allows for more autonomous decision-making," he told AFP.

"Spain is also seen as a gateway to Europe, Latin America and North Africa. It can function as a hub -- a place from which multiple markets can be accessed at once."

Agricultural products have the greatest potential in China, he said, noting that the country "cannot produce all the food it needs, or at least not at the quality required by its population", while Spain is a major producer of many food items.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning on Wednesday called Spain "an important partner of China within the EU", adding that Sanchez's visit offers a chance to "promote bilateral relations to an even higher level".

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia paid a state visit to China last November, the first by a Spanish monarch in 18 years, highlighting the closeness of ties.

Sanchez, one of Europe's few remaining left-wing leaders, is travelling with his wife Begona Gomez and Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares.

T.Ueda--JT