Spain is planning to build political and financial links to China as US President Donald Trump upends the global economic order.
The tactic is part of a new Asia-Pacific strategy that outlines Madrid’s priorities for the next three years. The document, which was released yesterday, calls for more high-level meetings and economic exchanges between Spain and China.
“Spain seeks to advance a positive and ambitious bilateral agenda with China, reinforcing the comprehensive strategic partnership as well as the excellent bilateral relationship,” the strategy says.
Photo: Reuters
The strategy reaffirms Spain’s position as Europe’s leader on efforts to deepen ties with China — and its willingness to rebuff warnings in doing so from the Trump administration. Last year, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez traveled to Beijing just days after Trump announced tariffs on nearly every country, a move US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticized as “cutting your own throat.”
“We maintain a good relationship with China; we work to ensure that this remains the case, given that it is a major global actor,” the Spanish government said in a statement regarding the strategy. “The same applies to the United States. This is consistent with our overall foreign policy, and in fact many European countries, such as France and the United Kingdom, are doing something similar.”
Sanchez is to visit China from April 13 to 15, marking his fourth appearance in more than three years.
Spain’s push to deepen its relationship with China not only risks irking the US, but even some of its European neighbors. While numerous European countries, including Germany, are seeking to stabilize ties with Beijing as the transatlantic partnership fractures, those same countries also increasingly see China as an economic rival that has undermined European manufacturing.
Madrid’s foreign policy calls on EU countries to “address in a coordinated manner the more structural dimensions of relations with actors the size of China and India, in particular those relating to the overall framework of economic and trade relations.”
Madrid wants to improve Spanish companies’ access to the Chinese market while also attracting investment in sectors such as automotive manufacturing and renewable energy. Spain runs a significant trade deficit with China.
“Since 2024, China has been Spain’s top supplier, ahead of Germany and France,” the strategy says.
Proposed measures in the document include “a strategic dialogue mechanism at the ministerial level to further strengthen and institutionalize the high-level exchanges of recent years.”
The strategy also says Spain is particularly interested in China’s rare earths industry, as well as scientific and cultural cooperation.
“Our strategy should be understood as complementary to European action towards our Asian partners,” the Spanish government said.
Heavy rain and strong winds yesterday disrupted flights, trains and ferries, forcing the closure of roads across large parts of New Zealand’s North Island, while snapping power links to tens of thousands. Domestic media reported a few flights had resumed operating by afternoon from the airport in Wellington, the capital, although cancelations were still widespread after airport authorities said most morning flights were disrupted. Air New Zealand said it hoped to resume services when conditions ease later yesterday, after it paused operations at Wellington, Napier and Palmerston North airports. Online images showed flooded semi-rural neighborhoods, inundated homes, trees fallen on vehicles and collapsed
‘COST OF DEFECTION’: Duterte’s announcement could be an effort to keep allies in line with the promise of a return to power amid political uncertainty, an analyst said Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte yesterday announced she would run for president of the Southeast Asian nation of 116 million in 2028. Duterte, who is embroiled in a bitter feud with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, was impeached last year only to see the country’s Supreme Court throw the case out over procedural issues. Her announcement comes just days before her father, former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, begins a pretrial hearing at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands over crimes against humanity allegedly committed as part of a brutal crackdown on drugs. “I offer my life, my strength and my future
NOT YET THERE: While the show was impressive, it failed to demonstrate their ability to move in unstructured environments, such as a factory floor, an expert said Dancing humanoid robots on Monday took center stage during the annual China Media Group’s Spring Festival Gala, China’s most-watched official television broadcast. They lunged and backflipped (landing on their knees), they spun around and jumped. Not one fell over. The display was impressive, but if robots can now dance and perform martial arts, what else can they do? Experts have mixed opinions, with some saying the robots had limitations and that the display should be viewed through a lens of state propaganda. Developed by several Chinese robotics firms, the robots performed a range of intricate stunts, including martial arts, comedy sketches and choreographed
POST-UPRISING: Bangladesh Nationalist Party lawmakers were yesterday expected to formally elect Tarique Rahman as their leader and new head of government Bangladesh’s prime minister-to-be Tarique Rahman and lawmakers were yesterday sworn into parliament, becoming the first elected representatives since a deadly 2024 uprising. Rahman is set to take over from an interim government that has steered the country of 170 million people for 18 months since the autocratic government of Sheikh Hasina was overthrown. The lawmakers, who promised loyalty to Bangladesh, were sworn in by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) lawmakers are expected to formally elect Rahman as their leader, with President Mohammed Shahabuddin then to administer the oath of office to the prime minister and his ministers
RSS