Overview
- The King launched the Spain–China Business Forum in Chengdu, drawing hundreds of companies from automotive, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals and agri‑food.
- In his address, he urged greater market openness and legal certainty in China and pressed to lift obstacles facing Spanish firms, highlighting cooperation in high‑value sectors.
- Economy minister Carlos Cuerpo called the outreach a EU‑aligned “win‑win” and underscored a roughly €40 billion deficit that Madrid aims to narrow through export growth and new investment.
- The visit now shifts to Beijing for a private dinner with Xi Jinping, a formal state welcome on Wednesday, top‑level meetings and the expected signing of sectoral memoranda on food safety, science, education and cultural cooperation.
- Spanish officials cite a recent U.S.–China tariff truce as lowering friction around the trip, while human‑rights issues remain within established EU–China dialogue mechanisms.