China Spain Photo: VCG

 China and Spain will see more opportunities to deepen their economic cooperation, particularly in key areas such as agriculture and green energy, where both sides have strong complementarities, Chinese experts said, against the backdrop of an official China visit by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez from Sunday to Wednesday by invitation.

During the visit, Sánchez will meet with Chinese leaders, and the two sides will exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest, according to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 The two sides will also hold events including the China-Spain Forum, the China-Spain Business Advisory Council Meeting and the China-Spain Business Forum.

"In recent years, the relationship between China and Spain has developed rapidly... Sánchez's visit is intended to maintain the basic development trend of bilateral relations between the two countries," Cui Hongjian, a professor at the Academy of Regional and Global Governance with Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

More positive results are expected from Sánchez's visit, with both sides advancing the development of cooperation, Cui said, highlighting the potential in traditional sectors like agricultural product trade as well as new areas such as the green transformation, where there is significant complementarity. 

The visit by the prime minister of Spain, a major EU member, also signals a key step in the broader progression from stability to further development in China-EU relations, Cui said.

This year, diplomacy with the EU remains a key agenda for China's foreign policy, evidenced by frequent high-level exchanges between the two sides, Cui said, noting that the continuation of such high-level interactions is expected to inject impetus into the prospects of stronger vitality of China-EU relations.

The potential for more cooperation in the area of electric vehicles is related to Spain's strong performance in the green transformation within Europe, as well as mutual needs and potential for cooperation.

"As a major European country, Spain's economic development is quite representative among European nations… It is hoped that Spain can play a positive role in China-EU relations through this visit," Cui said.

Bilateral trade has grown, expanding from $37.9 billion in 2020 to $48.6 billion in 2023, an increase of 28.23 percent, according to the China Chamber of International Commerce.

China has become Spain's largest trading partner outside the EU, and Spain is China's second-largest source of imported pork, according to media reports.