Kings Felipe VI and Letizia Ortiz will visit China on November 11, 12 and 13 with the intention of “culminating the intense agenda” that the Government has made in recent months, according to Foreign Affairs sources. In the midst of the brawl between Washington and Beijing over tariffs, the head of state will travel to Chengdu, in the center of the country, and the capital, Beijing, to increase economic relations and balance the trade balance, but also to strengthen ties at the political level. As is usual on state trips, the Kings will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares; In addition, they will be accompanied by the head of Economy, Commerce and Business, Carlos Body.
This trip “offers the opportunity to continue strengthening the deep political, economic and cultural ties between both countries,” explains Foreign Affairs in a note made public this Friday. The trip program will impact these three sectors with the signing of agreements that allow opening the Chinese market to the Spanish economy. All this happens in an international context in which Beijing plays a leading role. It is the second largest economy in the world, which may soon surpass the first (the United States), and it is also a country on the UN Security Council. “Asia was the region in which Spain did not have a historical presence. If you want to have a global foreign policy, you have to talk to everyone, especially with China and India,” he said.
Relations between the US and China, especially with President Donald Trump in the White House, have never been good. This Thursday, however, Trump and his Chinese counterpart, XI Jinping, met at the airport in the South Korean city of Busan and managed to close several trade agreements – related to the exploitation of rare earths and tariffs – reducing tension between both powers. The American leader described the meeting as “incredible,” while the Chinese leader asked to avoid a “vicious circle of mutual retaliation.”
The fact that with this trip Spain intends to get closer to China, at the same level as other European partners such as Italy, Germany or the Netherlands, does not mean for the Government to distance itself from the United States. “We have a good dialogue with China. We have an alliance with the United States,” Albares said. FT. But it so happens that the last year has been plagued by scuffles between Madrid and Washington, especially over Trump’s insistence – and Sánchez’s refusal – and the Republican’s subsequent suggestion to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to expel Spain from the Alliance.
Although in this type of trips at the highest diplomatic level the Kings usually begin by visiting the capital, in this case it will be the city of Chengdu that will receive them. An economic forum will be held there, attended by Felipe VI, and a cultural event related to poetry, attended by Queen Letizia.
November 12 will foreseeably be – the agendas are not yet completely closed – the most symbolic day on which both heads of state, Felipe VI and Xi Jinping, will meet in the capital, and agreements will be signed between both countries. The next day, the 13th, another business forum will be held – smaller than the previous one – and the Kings will receive the Spanish community at the ambassador’s residence in Beijing.
This trip is the first of the Kings to China, although they already went as princes in 2009. Juan Carlos I and Sofia visited the country twice: 1978 and 2006.
