Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun

Spain's Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labour and Social Economy Yolanda Diaz visited China from May 17 to 20, attending the Global Trade and Investment Promotion Summit in Beijing and traveling to Shanghai, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday.

"The visit, another important high-level exchange following Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's visit last month, further deepened bilateral cooperation in such areas as trade, investment, labor and social security. China stands ready to work with Spain to advance our comprehensive strategic partnership and deliver more for both peoples," Guo noted.

On Monday, Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin met with Yolanda Diaz in Beijing, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Shen said that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, the China-Spain comprehensive strategic partnership has been developing steadily. China is willing to work with Spain to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, deepen practical cooperation in areas related to people's livelihoods such as culture, tourism, sports, labor and social security, and bring more benefits to the people of both countries, Shen noted.

Diaz spoke highly of China's achievements in economic development and improvement of people's livelihoods, adding that Spain is willing to deepen exchanges and mutual learning with China to continuously consolidate the foundation of bilateral ties, according to Xinhua.

China and Spain have enough potential to strengthen business ties, as trade and investment gather pace with companies moving into higher-value sectors, backed by rising bilateral flows and policy support, Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

At a time when the international economic order is facing significant turbulence, trade protectionism is on the rise, and global industrial and supply chains are undergoing rapid restructuring, this high-frequency engagement between China and Spain sends two clear signals. 

First, Spain has placed the development of relations with China high on its foreign-policy agenda. Second, practical cooperation between the two countries in trade, industry, labor, and other fields has entered a stage of project implementation, requiring deputy prime minister-level engagement to advance concrete agreements, said the expert.

The visit also shows that, amid growing global uncertainty, Spain is choosing to counter the risks of trade protectionism through frequent political engagement, pragmatic industrial cooperation, and a shared commitment to multilateralism, Zhou added.

China is Spain's largest trading partner outside the EU, while Spain is the fifth-largest trading partner for China within the grouping. According to data from China's General Administration of Customs, bilateral trade exceeded $55 billion in 2025, up 9.8 percent year-on-year.