China and Spain agree to provide ‘fair, non-discriminatory’ business environment, Wang Yi says
- Beijing will lift a 24-year-old ban on imports of beef from Spain, which Chinese foreign minister calls ‘good news, especially for Spanish farmers’
- After talks with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares in Cordoba, Wang says the two sides agreed to expand cooperation in new areas
During a meeting with Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez in Madrid on Monday, the two leaders discussed the opportunities for cooperation in economic and cultural areas to deepen the relationship, and pointed out “the need for them to develop within a framework of balance and reciprocity”, according to a statement released by the Moncloa Palace, the Spanish president’s official residence.
The European Union considers China “a strategic partner”, the statement added, following talks between Sanchez and Wang on EU-China relations.
In contrast, the EU in recent years has more often referred to China as a “systemic rival” or “strategic competitor” amid rising political tensions, while also characterizing Beijing as a trading and economic partner.
Sanchez also conveyed the importance of China’s role in contributing to peace and stability in the Ukraine and Gaza conflicts and such global challenges as the climate emergency, the statement said.
During his joint press conference with Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares Sunday, Wang also said China had agreed to lift a 24-year-old ban on beef imports from Spain, calling it “good news, especially for Spanish farmers”.
