Getting closer to China would be ‘like slitting one’s own throat,’ the U.S. Treasury Secretary threatened.

On Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

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During the meeting, Xi proposed that the European Union and China work together to resist the trade war initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump through the imposition of tariffs on over 100 countries.

Sanchez described China as an “essential partner in facing global challenges” and emphasized the need to continue developing both Spanish and European relations despite U.S. actions.

“Spain is a deeply pro-European country that sees China as a partner of the EU. Spain will always work to foster solid and balanced relations between China and the EU… A strong Europe also contributes to global stability and prosperity,” the Spanish leader emphasized.

For his part, Xi urged the head of the Spanish government that Beijing and Brussels should oppose “unilateral bullying practices” and jointly protect globalization.

“Only through cooperation can countries maintain global peace and stability and promote development and prosperity,” stated the Chinese leader.

Xi stressed that “China and Spain are positive forces supporting multilateralism,” that “there are no winners in a trade war,” and that “opposing the rest of the world means becoming isolated,” referring to the U.S., which last week imposed “reciprocal” tariffs on most of its trading partners—a measure that was later suspended for all goods except those from China.

A Visit That “Is Not Against Anyone”

The trip, which had been planned before Donald Trump unleashed his tariff war, was not well received by the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, who warned that getting closer to China would be “like slitting one’s own throat.”

“Spain’s foreign policy is not against anyone. It is in defense of understanding between countries, of the multilateral order, and of free trade,” Sanchez asserted at a press conference held at the Spanish Embassy following his meeting with Xi.

The Spanish Prime Minister reiterated that China is “an essential partner in tackling global challenges” at a “complex” time when it is necessary “to broaden horizons and confront global threats.”

Sanchez highlighted that he has the support of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who is scheduled to visit China next July, and concluded the press conference by calling for dialogue between Washington and Beijing: “The world needs them to talk.”

Balancing the Trade Deficit

This marks the third time in just over two years that Sanchez has traveled to China, this time accompanied by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Agriculture, Jose Manuel Albares and Luis Planas.

The visit aligns with the policy of market diversification that Spain has been promoting: one of the goals is to reduce the significant trade imbalance, as, according to government data, imports from China reached €45 billion in 2024, while Spanish exports amounted to €7.4 billion.

Accordingly, both countries signed a new protocol to facilitate the access of Spanish pork products to the Chinese market. However, this comes amid an ongoing anti-dumping investigation by China into European imports in that sector.

China launched the probe last year in response to the European Commission’s imposition of tariffs on electric vehicles (EVs) manufactured in China. Another agreement was signed to enable the export of cherries, bringing the number of agri-food protocols signed between China and Spain since 2018 to ten.

An agreement concerning healthcare products, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics was also signed—sectors that had faced difficulties doing business in China. Furthermore, new cooperation agreements were reached in the fields of education and film production.

Another goal of the trip was to attract Chinese investment to Spain. To that end, Sanchez met today with companies such as automakers Leap Motors and Chery—the latter of which co-owns a joint car factory with Ebro in Barcelona—as well as CATL (the world’s largest battery manufacturer), energy companies China Energy and China Three Gorges International (CTGI), Envision, GCL (solar panels), and Hygreen (renewable energy).

“All of them are high value-added sectors aligned with our priorities—those related to the energy transition, the fight against climate change, and the reindustrialization of our country,” Sanchez stated following the meeting.

The Spanish Prime Minister concluded his trip with a meeting with Premier Li Qiang and a stroll through the Forbidden City, the former Chinese Imperial Palace, before flying back to Spain.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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