50 years of friendship between Spain and China celebrated in Madrid
What to expect for Sino-Spanish relations? A round table titled "A look to the future" was held in Madrid to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Spain.
Bilateral trade has increased from $12 million in 1973 to about $48.4 billion in 2021. Furthermore, 6,000 Spanish companies trade with China, many of them with offices or investment in the country; 1 million Chinese tourists visited Spain each year before the COVID-19 pandemic; technological exchanges have grown exponentially; and exchanges of business visits have multiplied.
Political relations have been strengthened by mutual high-level visits, including the 1978 visit to China by King Juan Carlos of Spain, and President Xi Jinping's visit to Spain in 2018.
The participation of Spain and China in G20 summits, as well as the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, the Boao Forum and many other multilateral institutions, has united the two nations in the attempt to improve global governance.
The two nations are ambitious in their friendship because of the great, untapped potential of bilateral cooperation. Spain can and must make important leaps in its relationship and dialogue with China.