Spain’s King Felipe VI has travelled to China on the invitation of China’s President Xi Jinping earlier this Monday with the trip now coming to an end. They took part in ceremonies, dined with state officials and entrepreneurs, listened to some music at the theatre and held a private conversation. The visit coincided with rising tensions between China and Japan over Taiwan.
The visit follows another visit by Spain’s Premier Pedro Sanchez during which he announced new cooperation agreements with China. The US Treasury warned the Spanish government not to seek closer ties to China. Spain has very unusual ties with China including in security matters which raise many suspicions by Western allies.
This was the first visit of a Spanish King to China since 18 years ago when King Juan Carlos I visited in 2006. The visit also coincided with the the 20th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Spain and China, established in 2005.
King Felipe VI delivered at least two speeches during his visit: one at the Spain-China Business Forum in Chengdu on November 11, and another at the gala dinner in Beijing on November 12 following his meeting with President Xi Jinping. These focused on strengthening bilateral ties, multilateralism, trade, and addressing global challenges. In both of his speeches, the Spanish King hailed China’s and Spain’s growing economic relations. In his first speech in Chengdu, King Felipe has also been quoted as saying:
“Spain, together with the European Union, maintains its firm commitment to an international system based on clear rules, transparency, and respect for the law.”
The Chinese press focused on other statements focusing on China’s cooperation with Spain. 10 cooperation agreements were officially signed which were discussed in the previous visit by the Spanish Premier. King Felipe VI also lauded China’s global role and praised Xi Jinping according to the Spanish press.
Newsroom
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