Spain and China: A Strategic Partnership for a More Balanced World

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's ongoing visit to China, scheduled for April 11-15, marks an important milestone in the evolution of bilateral relations between the two countries. This visit – his fourth to China in four years – is more than a diplomatic engagement; it represents a concerted effort to deepen a strategic partnership built on mutual respect, multilateralism, and shared development.

Over the past several years, Spain's approach toward China has evolved considerably. The Spanish government has increasingly recognized China's central role in contemporary global governance and has sought to place the bilateral relationship within a long-term strategic perspective.

At a time when the international order is undergoing profound transformation, cooperation between responsible global players has become more necessary than ever. China has established itself as one of the main engines of global economic growth and a key contributor to international stability and development. Spain, for its part, has embraced a policy of openness, pragmatism, and constructive engagement toward China.

Top-level visits as well as political and institutional exchanges have reinforced this rapprochement. In November 2025, Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia paid a state visit to China – the first by a Spanish monarch in 18 years – signaling the relationship's strategic importance and cross-party support in Spain. In August 2024, a delegation of senators from the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, facilitated by the Cátedra China Foundation, traveled to China, aiming to strengthen mutual understanding and political dialogue. Notably, early in 2026 at the invitation of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, a group of Spanish mayors from the People's Party, also coordinated by Cátedra China Foundation, visited China, a clear indication that engagement with China enjoys support across Spain's political spectrum.

Local governments have also played an increasingly active role in strengthening bilateral ties. The First China-Spain Mayors' Dialogue, held in April 2024 in southwest China's Chongqing and jointly sponsored by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Cátedra China Foundation, created a new platform for city-to-city cooperation. In August 2024, Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, President of the Regional Government of Andalusia, visited Beijing on the invitation of Yin Li, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, enhancing cooperation and experience sharing with Beijing in fields such as economy and trade, sci-tech innovation, tourism, and education. The two sides also explored greater exchanges in education, culture, sports, and youth, as well as expanded tourism cooperation.

Economically, the relationship is both robust and expanding. In 2025, bilateral trade exceeded US $55 billion, making China Spain's largest trading partner outside the European Union. At the same time, Chinese investment in Spain grew significantly, increasing from €149 million in 2024 to €634 million in 2025, a rise of 331 percent. Chinese companies such as CATL, Chery, and Huawei are increasingly contributing to Spain's industrial development, technological innovation, and energy transition. Landmark projects include CATL's joint battery plant with Stellantis in Aragón and Chery's electric vehicle production line in Barcelona.

Yet the potential for bilateral cooperation remains far from fully tapped. Significant opportunities exist to deepen collaboration in areas such as renewable energy, electric mobility, digital transformation, technological innovation, and tourism.

Spain can also play a constructive role within the European Union by advocating a more balanced, dialogue-based approach toward China – one grounded in mutual respect and shared interest.

The current global context calls for a more just and balanced international order, where all nations have a voice and opportunities for development. This is not an era for exclusion,ary hegemonism, but for cooperation and shared progress.

In this regard, President Sánchez's commitment to multilateralism resonates with China's vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, that guides China's approach to global governance.

Academic cooperation, cultural exchanges, and tourism continue to serve as important bridges between the two ancient civilizations, enriching people-to-people ties.

Many Spanish institutions, including the Cátedra China Foundation, are demonstrating their ongoing support for this long-term strategic relationship by fostering dialogue between institutions, businesses, and citizens.

At a time of profound global transformation, a strong and forward-looking partnership between Spain and China can make a meaningful contribution to international stability, sustainable development, and the construction of a more balanced and peaceful world.