Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian

When asked to comment on Spanish media reports that the Spanish government recently released the Foreign Action Strategy 2025-2028, stressing the need to deepen Spain-China comprehensive strategic partnership, and the measures taken by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to deepen relations with China are not for the short term but an important part of the road map of Spain's diplomacy for the next four years, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated on Wednesday that China appreciates the importance the Spanish government attaches to developing its relations with China and its continuous effort of advancing practical cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between our two countries. 

Lin noted that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez paid a successful visit to China not long ago. The two sides jointly issued the Action Plan for Strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and proposed to build a more strategically resilient and dynamic comprehensive strategic partnership. China and Spain also signed multiple cooperation documents on economic and trade ties, education and science and technology, and achieved major cooperation outcomes in new energy fields, including electric vehicles and battery. 

China stands ready to work with Spain to continue deepening open cooperation, especially practical cooperation in such fields as green development, artificial intelligence and digital economy, so as to bring more benefit to the two peoples and add more impetus to China-EU relations, said Lin.

On April 11, during his visit to China, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that over the past 20 years since establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership, Spain and China have maintained mutual respect and friendly cooperation, and bilateral relations have developed steadily, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Spain attaches great importance to its relations with China, unswervingly adheres to the one-China policy, and is willing to maintain high-level exchanges with China and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and exchanges in various fields to push bilateral relations to a new level, Sanchez said, per report.

Noting that China is an important partner of the EU, Sanchez said Spain always supports the stable development of EU-China relations. 

Noting the EU is committed to open and free trade, upholds multilateralism and opposes unilateral tariff hikes, Sanchez said there is no winner in a trade war, said Xinhua.

Facing the complex and challenging international situation, Spain and the EU are willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China to maintain the international trade order, cope with challenges including climate change and poverty, and safeguard the common interests of the international community, he said, according to the report.

Global Times