Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, at a press conference in Beijing on April 14, 2026, following a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, declared that political dialogue between the European Union and China has been elevated to its highest level in 53 years. Sánchez, on the second day of his state visit, also met with Chinese business leaders and reiterated Spain's commitment to deepening economic and diplomatic ties with China.
Sánchez arrived in Beijing on April 13, 2026, and on his first day called for renewed EU-China cooperation, stating at Tsinghua University that 'China and Europe prospered together, and can do so again.' He also visited Xiaomi's campus and met with founder Lei Jun. The visit comes amid ongoing EU-China trade tensions, including EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and export controls on sensitive technologies. The Spanish leader's message of partnership contrasts with recent EU moves to de-risk from China, and with the European External Action Service's April 13 call for China to respect the rights of released lawyer Yu Wensheng, a case the EU has consistently raised.
Sánchez's meeting with Xi Jinping marks the highest-level EU-China engagement since the EU-China summit in 2023, and signals Spain's push for a more cooperative stance within the EU, balancing economic interests with strategic autonomy concerns.
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