Pedro Sánchez commits to a relationship with China based on openness: "We want more trade and investment"

Shanghai (China)

The Chief Executive visited Shanghai on his trip to the People's Republic of China, where he inaugurated the Spain-China Business Meeting and held bilateral meetings with several leading companies in the automotive and renewable energy sectors. He also visited the facilities of the company Envision, inaugurated the Cervantes Institute in Shanghai and went to see the start-up accelerator at the Sino-Hispanic Campus for Tongji University.

During his speech at the opening session of the Spain-China Business Meeting, the President of the Government of Spain supported an economic relationship with the Asian country based on openness, where there is more trade and investment, especially in sectors such as advanced industrial technology, the agri-food sector, green hydrogen, sustainable infrastructures, the circular economy and energy efficiency. All of these sectors have enormous potential to generate wealth, quality jobs and a more sustainable future in both China and Spain. However, the President also stressed that economic relations must be fairer and more balanced.

The President of the Government of Spain speaks at the opening of the Spain-China Business Meeting, at the Shangri-La Pudong hotel (Shanghai) | Pool Moncloa /Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

In this commitment to intensify economic, trade, business and investment relations, the President of the Government of Spain has advocated that China and the European Union should also do so "beyond the new geopolitical and geoeconomic realities".

The President asserted that Spain advocates dialogue to resolve the tensions between the EU and China over the imposition of tariffs on electric vehicles from the Asian country. This dialogue must lead to a negotiated and agreed solution within the framework of the WTO in order to avoid a trade war "that will benefit no one", but also to protect the interests of Spanish and European industry.

Spain and Envision sign MoU for development of electrolyser plant

The President of the Government of Spain has visited the Shanghai-based headquarters of the company Envision, the Chinese multinational that will build the future battery gigafactory in Navalmoral de la Mata (Cáceres). On this occasion, another agreement has been presented in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding to develop an electrolyser plant for the production of green hydrogen in Spain with an investment, together with other business partners, of 1 billion dollars, which will generate over 1,000 direct and indirect jobs.

"You are helping us to build a better future," said the President of the Government of Spain during his speech. He also expressed his gratitude for the company's commitment to Spain, which is laying the foundations to become "the European leader and a global player in the green hydrogen revolution".

Inauguration of the Cervantes Institute in Shanghai

The Cervantes Institute has opened its second centre in China in Shanghai, making Spain the only European country to have two cultural centres in the country: "Nothing exemplifies more clearly the friendship and the excellent degree of bilateral cooperation that unites China and Spain," said the President of the Government of Spain.

Pedro Sánchez signs the book of honour of the Cervantes Institute in Shanghai | Pool Moncloa /Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

Interest in Spanish in China has grown exponentially in recent years. There are around 60,000 students of Spanish in the country and approximately 3,000 teachers. Mandarin Chinese and Spanish are the two languages with the largest number of native speakers in the world.

"The mutual interest in our languages not only strengthens our bilateral relationship, but also opens a bridge across the Pacific between China and Latin America and the Caribbean," the President reiterated.

Bilateral meetings for the President of the Government of Spain

Within the framework of the Business Meeting, President Sánchez met with the presidents of Chery, SAIC Motor and Hunan Yuneng, three large Chinese companies in the electric car value chain with interest in developing investments in Spain or with plans already underway.

The Government of Spain's commitment to energy transition and reindustrialisation has helped turn Spain into an attractive destination for foreign investment, generating wealth and high-quality jobs.

The President of the Government of Spain also met with the Secretary General of the Communist Party of China in Shanghai. During the meeting, they expressed their common agreement to continue deepening trade relations between Spain and the city of Shanghai, as well as the deep cultural ties that unite Spain with the financial city of China.

Visit to the start-up accelerator at the Sino-Hispanic Campus for Tongji University

Pedro Sánchez speaks at Tongji University during his visit to the Chinese-Spanish campus in Shanghai | Pool Moncloa / Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

The President of the Government of Spain has seen first-hand the work of the start-up accelerator at the Sino-Hispanic Campus (CSH), which develops a platform for academic, research and innovation cooperation between China, Spain and Latin America, and is the only multilateral initiative with a permanent presence in China involving Spanish-speaking universities.

This accelerator aims to train young Spanish entrepreneurs and give them the opportunity to get to know the Chinese innovation ecosystem, offering them support to develop their project, obtain funding and find local partners.

The President of the Government of Spain held a meeting with some of these entrepreneurs, who had the opportunity to present their business projects.

Non official translation