For the fourth time, the Spanish Prime Minister is travelling to Beijing amidst the ongoing clash with the U.S. over the war in Iran. The goal of the trip is to open the Chinese market to new sectors, attract investment to Spain, and mitigate a €40-billion trade deficit. The work agenda, which begins today and runs through Wednesday, includes meetings with the Chinese government, business leaders, and investors.
“China is an essential partner when it comes to addressing global challenges,” Sánchez argued a year ago during his third trip to the country in three years. This fourth visit, however, carries the diplomatic status of an official visit for the first time. As part of this status, the Chinese government has invited the Spanish President’s wife, Begoña Gómez, to accompany him. Additionally, Chinese leader Xi Jinping will host an official banquet in their honor tomorrow at the Great Hall of the People.
Sánchez, who landed in Beijing over the weekend, begins his official agenda today by delivering a lecture at Tsinghua University—one of the country’s most prestigious institutions—followed by a visit to the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Finally, he will visit the headquarters of the technology giant Xiaomi, where he will hold a meeting with its founder, Lei Jun.
The primary diplomatic events are set for tomorrow, when Sánchez will hold a bilateral meeting with Xi Jinping before a lunch held in his honor at the Great Hall of the People—the same venue where a gala dinner was hosted for the King and Queen of Spain last November.
During this second day, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, will join the Spanish delegation. Subsequently, the Spanish Prime Minister will hold meetings with the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Zhao Leji, and with Premier Li Qiang, with whom he is expected to sign a series of bilateral agreements regarding education, technology, and cultural exchange.
Before that, however, early tomorrow morning, Sánchez is scheduled to meet with Chinese investors in search of new capital flows toward Spain. He will also hold meetings with Spanish companies operating in China, such as Técnicas Reunidas, in the field of engineering and energy infrastructure construction; Mondragón International, the export, import, and global operations division of the Basque group; Grifols, in the biopharmaceutical and healthcare sector; and the solar energy and photovoltaic firm MASPV.
