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The Spanish king will journey to China subsequent month as a part of his nation’s efforts to bolster ties with Beijing, the primary European monarch to embark on such a visit in seven years.
The royal family is making ready to announce a state go to by King Felipe VI in November, in keeping with folks aware of the matter, in a transfer that Spanish officers stated underscored the “very excessive stage” relations between Spain and China.
The king’s go to has been orchestrated by the leftwing authorities of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who leads probably the most overtly pro-China administration in western Europe as he seeks to strengthen financial ties with the nation regardless of stress from Washington to be cool in the direction of it.
“Asia was the area the place Spain didn’t have a historic presence. If you wish to have a worldwide overseas coverage you need to discuss to everybody, particularly China and India,” José Manuel Albares, Spanish overseas minister, advised the Monetary Occasions.
US President Donald Trump has had a rollercoaster relationship with Beijing since returning to the White Home. Tensions eased within the newest chapter on Thursday as Trump and Chinese language President Xi Jinping agreed to postpone export controls on uncommon earths and chips as a part of a one-year trade deal.
Earlier this yr Scott Bessent, US Treasury secretary, warned Madrid that aligning extra carefully with China “could be slicing your individual throat”. He didn’t repeat the warning on a go to to Madrid in September, when Spain hosted US-China talks that paved the way in which for Thursday’s commerce truce.
Albares insisted that participating with China didn’t imply Spain was distancing itself from the US. “We have now a great dialogue with China. We have now an alliance with the US,” he stated.
Whereas the Spanish king will likely be making his first go to to China in 11 years on the throne, Sánchez has already met Xi 3 times in lower than three years.
The EU in recent years has taken extra aggressive steps in opposition to China’s subsidised exports and insisted on extra know-how transfers. However some governments have struggled to search out the correct stability, with German overseas minister Johann Wadephul lately forced to cancel a trip to China as a result of mounting tensions.
The Spanish monarch will likely be accompanied by a big group of company leaders from sectors together with autos, meals, power and prescription drugs, in keeping with one enterprise official. His journey coincides with the twentieth anniversary of a “complete strategic partnership” agreed by Madrid and Beijing.
The final European royal to make a state go to to China was the king of Norway in 2018.
Spain is raring to draw investments from high-end Chinese language producers, notably within the electrical car sector, the place it sees China’s know-how as key to guaranteeing the way forward for Spanish trade.
Madrid additionally desires to export extra to China. Within the first eight months of 2025, Spain had a €26.9bn commerce deficit with China that was equal to 77 per cent of its complete deficit of €35.1bn.
Chinese language-built factories, akin to a €4bn battery plant deliberate by CATL close to Zaragoza, have the potential to scale back imports from China whereas additionally creating jobs. However union officers and China consultants have warned that Chinese language corporations will likely be reluctant to share their technological secrets and techniques.
Spain’s engagement with China has been marked by a scarcity of home dissent. Against this, China coverage within the UK, France and Germany has sparked fierce debates over methods to stability financial pursuits with issues about safety and over-reliance on Beijing.
Madrid resisted US stress after the heads of intelligence committees within the US Congress criticised the Spanish authorities for signing a €12mn contract to make use of Huawei {hardware} to retailer wiretaps, warning it was “enjoying with fireplace” and placing nationwide safety in danger.
Spain can also be in Trump’s cross hairs for rejecting his demand to spend 5 per cent of its GDP on defence — which all different Nato allies have agreed to. This month Trump mused about ejecting Spain from Nato or punishing it with tariffs.
Spanish officers say they don’t have any selection however to construct ties with China as a result of the “unipolar” period of US hegemony is over and Spain must be on good phrases with rising powers akin to India, Brazil and the Gulf states.
Some consultants, nevertheless, warn that Spain dangers locking itself right into a relationship of dependency.
Juan Luis Manfredi, senior lecturer in overseas coverage on the College of Castilla-La Mancha, stated: “China is a neocolonial energy making an attempt to extend its bargaining energy on European points by Spain, and it may well try this as a result of we’d like cash, we’d like finance.”
“Spain just isn’t well-placed to face toe-to-toe with China as a result of Spain lacks statecraft. It lacks the capability to co-ordinate army energy, overseas coverage and support,” Manfredi added.
Chinese language officers often scold their European counterparts for not being extra impartial from the US of their overseas coverage. Throughout a go to to Europe final yr, Xi lavished reward on China-friendly governments in Serbia and Hungary.
Charles Powell, director of the Elcano Royal Institute, a think-tank, defended Spain’s stance on China, noting that the EU was divided on methods to take care of the Asian powerhouse. “So in actuality everyone seems to be breaking ranks. Spain . . . is neither among the many most conciliatory nor probably the most confrontational members.”
Extra reporting by Amy Borrett in London and Richard Milne in Oslo
