President Xi Jinping held talks with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Beijing to strengthen economic relations and use Spain as a bridge to the European Union, while maintaining a stance supporting peace negotiations in the Middle East.
President Xi Jinping welcomed Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during his official visit to China, aiming primarily to reinforce economic ties between China and the European Union amid global trade policy tensions.
Prime Minister Sánchez, visiting China for the fourth time in four years, sought to position Spain as a "bridge" between China and the EU at a time when Europe-US relations are shaken by former President Donald Trump's tariff policies. However, the Spanish leader acknowledged that the current trade deficit between the EU and China is "unsustainable" and needs to be addressed.
President Xi told Sánchez that both sides should enhance cooperation amid "global chaos and turmoil" and the "struggle between justice and power." He said, "Both China and Spain are principled nations standing for justice. They should strengthen communication, build mutual trust, and closely collaborate to resist the world’s regression to the law of the jungle," meaning "only the strongest survive."
He added, "How a country respects international law and order reflects its worldview, concepts of order, values, and sense of responsibility." He said both countries should "seize opportunities" to cooperate in trade, new energy, and technology.
Although Prime Minister Sánchez’s visit focused on bilateral trade, he told reporters that China could play a "crucial" role in resolving the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for reforms to make the global order "more exemplary" after talks with President Xi Jinping. Sánchez said in a press conference, "What we want is to devote all our efforts to reforming the world order that has guaranteed peace for decades, making it more inclusive, representative, and democratic."
Sánchez also said he discussed with Xi the "reforms our multilateral system needs to better reflect today's multipolar world realities."
Beyond discussions with the Spanish leader, President Xi met with Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, presenting a four-point proposal for peace in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region.
President Xi emphasized that China will play a "constructive role" in promoting peace talks and urged all parties to respect the sovereignty and security of countries in the region. He notably said, "Upholding the authority of international law must not be selectively applied based on convenience or benefit."
The Chinese leader’s remarks came after the first round of US-Iran talks in Pakistan ended without agreement, with US Vice President JD Vance stating that the decision to end the war now rests with Iran.
This week Beijing has become a true center for global negotiations. In addition to leaders from Spain and the United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday, high-level leaders and diplomats from several other countries arrived, including Vietnamese leader Vo Lam and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who are scheduled to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to collaborate on easing Middle East tensions.
Source: AFP