China Spain Photo: VCG

China is willing to work hand-in-hand with the Spanish side, guided by the important consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries, to further promote practical cooperation in the economic and trade fields and continuously push China-Spain cooperation to go deeper and become more substantive, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), said during a press conference on Thursday.

Spokesperson He Yadong made the remarks in response to a question about whether China and Spain plan to sign new investment and economic and trade cooperation agreements during King Felipe VI of Spain's visit to China this week.

The MOFCOM spokesperson noted that on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Spain, King Felipe VI's state visit to China holds important significance for promoting the continuous advancement of friendly cooperation between the two countries.

China's MOFCOM and Spain's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the China-Spain Joint Economic and Industrial Cooperation Committee. The MOU is a specific implementation measure of the Action Plan for Strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the People's Republic of China and the Kingdom of Spain (2025-2028), aimed at enhancing dialogue in the economic and trade fields between the governments of the two countries, said He.

"In the future, we will leverage this mechanism to strengthen policy coordination, address enterprises' appeals in a coordinated manner, and provide robust support for deepening and substantiating practical cooperation between China and Spain," the spokesperson said.

On Thursday morning, China's MOFCOM and Spain's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise jointly hosted the third meeting of the China-Spain Business Advisory Council in Beijing, providing a platform for entrepreneurs from both sides to exchange and connect, according to He. 

Approximately 30 representatives from the council units of both sides attended the meeting, with thematic discussions conducted between Chinese and Spanish enterprises in global cooperation, the energy transition, and advanced manufacturing cooperation, with a lively atmosphere, the spokesperson noted.

"King Felipe VI's state visit to China demonstrates Spain's high regard for the country. The series of cooperation projects signed and economic and trade activities conducted during the visit will lay a solid foundation for deeper cooperation between the two countries," Zhao Junjie, a senior research fellow at the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday.

It marks King Felipe VI's first state visit to the country after his enthronement, and the first visit by a Spanish monarch to China in 18 years, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with Spanish Minister of Economy, Trade and Business Carlos Cuerpo on Tuesday, having exchanged views on China-Spain and China-EU economic and trade relations, according to a statement published on the website of the MOFCOM on Thursday.

Wang stated that in recent years, high-level exchanges between China and Spain have been frequent. Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, China-Spain economic and trade relations have maintained healthy and stable development, with cooperation continuously enriched.

“The Spanish government attaches great importance to Spain-China economic and trade relations and is willing to further strengthen dialogue and exchanges with China to expand practical cooperation in trade, investment, and other fields. Spanish companies, especially pork producers, are optimistic about the prospects of the Chinese market and welcome more measures from the Chinese government to expand opening up,” said Cuerpo, according to the MOFCOM release.

Zhao noted that both sides will usher in new opportunities for cooperation in the economic and trade fields such as the digital economy, new energy, and automobile manufacturing, as well as in people-to-people exchanges including tourism and education.

Javier Tora, Vice-President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in China, told the Global Times that "The Chinese market is very important for Spain and for Spanish companies... Some of our main sectors are already investing heavily in China, including vehicles, pharmaceuticals and financial services."

Other areas with greater opportunities for Spanish businesses in China include renewable energy, machine tools and aerospace, according to Tora.

Spain is China's fifth-largest trading partner within the EU, and China is Spain's largest trading partner outside the EU, according to the website of China's Foreign Ministry.

The economic and trade relationship between the two countries is also highly complementary, vibrant, and resilient. Bilateral goods trade has increased from $20 million at the time when diplomatic relations were established to more than $50 billion in 2024, a rise of more than 2,500 times, Xinhua reported.

"More importantly, this visit to China demonstrates Spain's independence as a major European power, while also highlighting the true implementation of the 'strategic autonomy' concept that the EU has long advocated. Spain is not merely paying lip service, but leading a pragmatic shift in European diplomacy through concrete actions," Zhao noted.

China-Spain cooperation has become a model for China-EU cooperation. Facts prove that mutual trust and pragmatic collaboration can lead to mutual benefits and win-win outcomes, Zhao said.