Spanish King Felipe VI conducted a state visit to Beijing from November 10 to 13, 2025. During his meeting with Xi Jinping, the two leaders witnessed the signing of 10 agreements covering areas such as food safety, plant quarantine standards, language education, and cooperation in space and astronomy.
Spain has maintained a relatively friendly stance toward China compared with other EU countries. Analysts note that Spain’s left-leaning government is seeking closer ties with China as a strategic hedge against deteriorating relations with the United States, which has criticized Spain for not meeting NATO spending targets and for policy differences on issues including Gaza. Chinese investment, including greenfield projects, offers an alternative source of economic support for Spain amid these tensions.
Madrid is also pursuing broader diplomatic influence within the EU and the Asia-Pacific region. Spain’s recent foreign policy emphasizes supply chain cooperation with Japan and South Korea while deepening commercial links with China. Beijing, meanwhile, aims to reduce trade friction with the EU arising from its heavily subsidized electric vehicle industry and to mitigate export pressures from U.S. tariffs. President Xi proposed that Chinese and Spanish companies jointly explore Latin America and other third-party markets, leveraging Spain’s historical ties to these regions.
Source: Radio France International, November 12, 2025
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