Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez attends a press conference in Madrid, Spain, on March 20, 2026. Photo: Xinhua

Making his fourth visit to China in four years, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will pay an official visit to China from Saturday, marking another in a series of successive visits to China by European leaders since the beginning of this year. A Chinese expert said that this visit is a natural step that underscores the Sanchez administration's strong commitment to its relations with China.
  
At the invitation of Premier of the State Council Li Qiang, Sanchez will pay an official visit to China from April 11 to 15, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced on Wednesday. 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said during a press conference on the same day that President Xi Jinping will meet with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and Premier Li Qiang and Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee Zhao Leji will hold talks and meet with him respectively for in-depth exchanges of views on the bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest. 

The upcoming visit of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will provide another opportunity for China and Spain working together to deepen strategic mutual trust, have closer exchanges and cooperation, and step up coordination on multilateral affairs, so as to bring the China-Spain relations to a new height and make greater contribution to world peace and stability, the spokesperson added.

Sanchez previously visited China in April 2025, September 2024 and March 2023, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. 

King Felipe VI of Spain also paid a state visit to China in November 2025, his first to the country after his enthronement, and the first visit by a Spanish monarch to China in 18 years, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao said during the conference that the visit this time will also be another important high-level exchange between China and Spain.

Noting Sanchez's successive visits, which showcase the long-maintained friendly attitude of him and his political party, Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, toward China, Jian Junbo, director of the Center for China-Europe Relations at Fudan University's Institute of International Studies, said that the trip this year marks a natural step that demonstrates the Sanchez administration attaches great importance to its relations with China.

Spain has stood out in recent years for the stability of its government and the continuity of its foreign policy. Backed by Sanchez's years in office, that stability has allowed Spain to maintain sustained, high-level engagement with China, Cui Hongjian, a professor at the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times previously. 

A report by news outlet EFE noted on Wednesday that Spain and China maintain a comprehensive strategic partnership and have strengthened their economic ties in recent years, with cooperation in sectors such as the automotive industry, energy and technology.

Regarding the trip, Reuters reported on Wednesday that Madrid seeks to build on its commercial ties with the world's second-largest economy.

Economic and trade cooperation is also necessary, given Europe's current economic situation and ongoing energy shortages, Jian said. "Closer market ties are conducive to the fundamental development and prosperity of both sides."

He noted that the two countries have great potential for cooperation in the energy sector, including power grid upgrading, new energy development and energy storage equipment, and that closer collaboration could also be pursued in automotive machinery and agriculture. 

Jian added that Spain has recognized these opportunities and reaped tangible benefits from closer economic ties with China in a partnership that could set a positive example for other European countries.

Several European leaders have visited China since the beginning of 2026, including Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. 

Amid current changes in the geopolitical landscape including the Middle East, Jian said Sanchez's visit to China also carries special significance, and Spain's continued efforts to advance ties with China under such circumstances highlight its strong commitment to China-Spain relations.