The President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, received this Friday, in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, the head of the Spanish Executive, Pedro Sánchez, as the culmination of his first official visit to the Asian colossus. In his welcoming remarks with which the bilateral meeting began, Xi, who last week held a meeting in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, did not expressly refer to the issue of the war in Ukraine. Although he has shown his willingness to “make contributions to peace.” Sánchez has denounced Putin’s “illegal and unjust war” before the top Chinese leader, while he has defended the peace plan proposed by the Ukrainian president, VolodÃmir Zelenski, with whom the Spanish chief executive met in Kyiv last 23 of February.
“This is a time when tensions are building in different corners of the planet. In Europe we are once again experiencing the horrors of a war that we believe is illegal and unjust and, therefore, it is a time for dialogue and the defense of a multilateral order based on rules”, Sánchez demanded before Xi. “To that end, we must keep communication channels open to build our trust through positive agendas and collaboration on issues that concern us all,†she assured. “Nothing replaces direct contacts between the authorities and leaders of the countries. It is very important that, despite the differences, we look for spaces for dialogue and also for concertationâ€, he pointed out.
The Spanish president has advocated in this way to respect “the sovereignty of each country and also the rules.” And he has advanced to Xi that he is “very interested in knowing his vision of the current global geostrategic context.” “Also China’s position on a war that is particularly affecting Ukraine, and especially after his visit to Moscow,” he said. Sánchez recalled that Xi “knows what our position is”. “We must continue to bet on peace: that peace must be just, lasting and in accordance with the United Nations charter. And that he respects the principles of the international order: the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the attacked country, as claimed by President Zelenski in his formula for peace, which Spain supportsâ€, he assured.
Beyond the bilateral relationship, and the relaunch of trade and economic agreements between Spain and China, at the level of global geopolitics, Pedro Sánchez has coordinated his strategy against the Asian colossus with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who will also shortly visit Xi Jinping in Beijing, as will the high representative of the EU, Josep Borrell, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, or the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni. “It is not feasible, nor is it in the interests of Europe, to disassociate itself from China,†Von der Leyen warned last Thursday, while, however, calling for “eliminating risks†through diplomacy, in the face of the pretension of Beijing to “change the world orderâ€.
Xi Jinping, for his part, conveyed his greetings to King Felipe VI to Sánchez, and has also opted to relaunch relations with Spain. “Both parties maintain mutual respect, mutually beneficial dialogue and collaboration, and we have established a comprehensive strategic relationship,” he highlighted. And he has also congratulated Sánchez, of whom he has said that “in recent years he has led the people of Spain to successfully fight the covid and has also been very successful in the face of the effects of international turmoil.”
“Spain has been one of the best countries in terms of economic growth in the EU,” Xi stressed. “Let’s share the opportunities together and face the challenges to push the bilateral development further. Face challenges, promote development and make contributions to world peace and development,” said the Chinese president.
