Photo: VCG

 

The upcoming China visit by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is expected to further promote practical cooperation and shows a consensus that European countries, Spain included, are willing to foster a healthy and stable relationship with China.

At the invitation of Premier Li Qiang of the State Council, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will pay an official visit to China from September 8 to 11, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Tuesday.

During Sanchez's visit, the two sides will exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest. The two sides will also hold the China-Spain Forum, the China-Spain Business Advisory Council Meeting and the China-Spain Business Forum, among other events, Mao said.

China hopes that through this visit, the two sides will further advance bilateral relations, deepen mutual trust through high-level exchanges, address global challenges through high-quality cooperation, and add new dimensions to China-Spain comprehensive strategic partnership, Mao added. 

The visit of the Spanish Prime Minister to China at this time reflects the consensus between China and Europe to uphold high-level interactions, so as to stabilize and promote China-Europe relations, Cui Hongjian, a professor from the Academy of Regional and Global Governance with Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

China-Spain relations have maintained stable development for a long time, and Cui believes Sanchez's visit and bilateral communication will focus on overall positioning and planning for future advancement of the relationship between the two countries.

Economic and trade exchanges are expected to be a key part of the agenda, as there are significant opportunities for stronger cooperation on manufacturing, infrastructure, new energy and green transformation, Cui said.

Against the backdrop of EU imposing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, Cui noted the two sides will also touch on how to properly handle trade frictions between China and Europe.

Sanchez's upcoming visit sends a clear signal that most European countries, including Spain, are committed to fostering a healthy and stable relationship between China and Europe, Cui said. 

Cui believes this will help enhance global confidence in the stability of major power relations amid current major changes in the global landscape.