King Felipe VI of Spain arrived in China on Tuesday for the first state visit by a Spanish monarch in nearly two decades, as Madrid strengthens economic and political ties with Beijing amid increasingly strained relations with Washington.
The four-day visit, which marks the 20th anniversary of high-level diplomatic relations between Spain and China, is expected to reinforce bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, and technology.
Felipe is accompanied by Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo, and a large delegation of Spanish business leaders.
The trip begins in the southwestern city of Chengdu before moving to Beijing, where the king will meet President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and top legislator Zhao Leji on Wednesday.
The visit follows a series of diplomatic missions by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has made three trips to China in as many years as part of a broader strategy to rebalance trade relations heavily tilted in Beijing’s favor.
In 2024, Spain imported €45 billion ($52.5 billion) worth of goods from China while exporting just €7.5 billion ($8.8 billion), according to the state trade agency ICEX.
China, for its part, has reciprocated Spain’s outreach.
In December, Madrid hosted the first overseas edition of the Imperial Springs International Forum, a Chinese equivalent of the Davos World Economic Forum, underscoring Beijing’s growing confidence in Spain as its closest European partner at a time when other EU members remain wary of China’s ties with Russia and its dominance in critical minerals.
Economic ties between the two nations are already showing tangible results. Spanish pork exports to China rose 8% to €700 million ($780 million) between January and July, even as rival exporters from Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United States saw declines.
“We are in China’s hands, but we couldn’t ask for a better ambassador than the king of Spain to defend our interests,” said Javier Briones, export director at Grupo Tello Alimentación.
Beyond agriculture, Chinese investment is flowing into Spain’s electric vehicle and green energy sectors. Companies such as CATL, Envision, and Chery are building EV battery and car plants, while others like Hygreen have pledged to open electrolyser manufacturing facilities.
Three Chinese energy firms recently signed agreements to invest in a potassium mine in northeastern Spain. Analysts say Spain is also a leading contender to host BYD’s third European car plant, thanks to its growing market and limited local competition.
However, the deepening partnership comes with geopolitical challenges. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to sanction Spain over NATO spending shortfalls and disagreements regarding the Gaza conflict.
“China could provide an alternative in terms of investment,” said Alicia García-Herrero, a senior fellow at Bruegel. “It’s very political, Spain is betting no on Trump.”
Security concerns also linger over Spain’s cooperation with Huawei. Earlier this year, Madrid canceled a project involving the Chinese telecom giant over data security fears, and U.S. lawmakers have urged limits on intelligence sharing with Spain after it renewed a contract with Huawei for its judicial wiretapping system.
Despite these tensions, King Felipe’s visit underscores Spain’s growing role as China’s most engaged European partner, pursuing a pragmatic approach that balances economic opportunity with the complex realities of global power politics.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
