Madrid's engagement with Beijing seen as pragmatic move, strategic choice

Honoring his commitment to make annual trips to China, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez kicked off his fourth visit in as many years to the world's second-largest economy on Saturday to sustain the momentum of close bilateral high-level exchanges.

Sanchez's five-day itinerary includes delivering a speech at Tsinghua University and visiting the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the headquarters of Chinese tech company Xiaomi. The visit comes about five months after the state visit to China by King Felipe VI of Spain, which was the first visit by a Spanish monarch in 18 years.

Sanchez previously visited China in April 2025, September 2024 and March 2023.

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Analysts said that Spain's close engagement with China is not only a pragmatic move driven by economic interests, but also a strategic choice amid mounting geopolitical risks.

Jordi Bacaria, an expert of international relations and professor emeritus at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, told Xinhua News Agency that Sanchez's visit reflects a deliberate and longstanding diplomatic effort to build a stable relationship with China.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries are not improvised; they are the result of many years of work, Bacaria said.

Cui Hongjian, a professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University's Academy of Regional and Global Governance, said that against the backdrop of fluctuating China-European Union relations in recent years, the stability and continuity of China-Spain ties stand out.

"Spain has maintained a relatively clear and steady approach, as it has recognized China's growing global influence," Cui said.

The latest high-level engagement will provide another opportunity for the two countries to advance more substantive cooperation and form tailored frameworks in bilateral trade, investment and industrial collaboration, he said.

Ding Chun, director at Fudan University's Center for European Studies, said that Spain has positioned itself as a forerunner in Europe by opting for a more China-friendly approach, distancing itself from the EU's "de-risking" narrative on China, and viewing Beijing as a cooperative partner.

The changing realities, including changes in the geopolitical situation, trans-Atlantic relations and economic pressures, are prompting Spain to take a pragmatic approach toward China in order to hedge against risks, Ding said.

Such a pragmatic approach is also driven by economic interests, he added.

In 2025, bilateral trade in goods exceeded $55 billion, up 9.8 percent year-on-year. China remains Spain's largest trading partner outside the EU.

Cooperation between the two countries has expanded from traditional sectors to emerging areas such as green energy, electric vehicles and the digital economy.

On Wednesday, Chinese automaker Chery announced the inauguration of its European Operations Center in Barcelona, Spain, the company's first regional headquarters outside China.

While Sanchez is the first Spanish prime minister to visit China so frequently, a number of European leaders have visited China since the end of last year, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

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Earlier this month, a delegation of EU lawmakers visited China, the first such visit in eight years.

Despite the fact that Europe has not given up the "de-risking" approach, many countries are changing their attitudes toward China, showing willingness to advance cooperation while reserving differences, said Ding from Fudan University.

Cui from Beijing Foreign Studies University noted that for other European countries, the China-Spain relationship serves as a model for developing a long-term and comprehensive understanding of China, not as a risk but a source of growth.

Contact the writers at zhoujin@chinadaily.com.cn