Spain seeks to boost Chinese investment with royal visit

China’s Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that King Felipe VI of Spain will make a state visit to China from November 10–13, marking the first visit by a Spanish monarch in 18 years, as Madrid seeks to strengthen Chinese investment and expand trade ties, Reuters reports.

China expressed willingness to enhance cooperation and deepen the strategic partnership between the two countries, according to Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning. Spain has actively pursued closer economic ties with China despite US warnings about engagement with the world’s second-largest economy. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has visited China three times in as many years, most recently this spring, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

During previous visits, several Chinese investments in Spain were confirmed, including battery manufacturer CATL and renewable energy group Envision. While the EU remains cautious about deepening economic ties with China due to trade imbalances, Beijing’s favoring of friendly member states like Spain complicates unified EU policy.

Following a recent meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, tensions between Beijing and Washington have eased temporarily after a volatile year.