Sanchez's fourth China visit signals EU strategic shift

Editor's note: Ma Shimeng, a special commentator for CGTN, is a research fellow of the Spanish-Speaking Countries Communication Research Center, Academy of International and Regional Communication Studies, Communication University of China (CUC). Zhu Zhenming, a special commentator for CGTN, is the director of the Spanish-Speaking Countries Communication Research Center, Academy of International and Regional Communication Studies, CUC. The article reflects the authors' views and not necessarily those of CGTN.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is undertaking a state visit to China from April 11 to 15. This marks his fourth trip to China in four years, demonstrating a sustained high-level engagement between two countries aimed at bolstering economic and commercial ties.

Sanchez's visit unfolds against a complex international backdrop. The Iran war, Gaza conflict and global trade tensions have compounded uncertainties. Spain attaches great importance to this visit, signaling Madrid's intent to preserve greater strategic flexibility among Europe, the United States and China, while using China as a channel to boost its visibility within the EU.

From Spain's domestic vantage point, Sanchez's objectives are evident. Politically, Spain aims to solidify stable communication channels and coordinate with Beijing on international law, multilateralism and regional security. A key focus is discussing China's role as a "stabilizing force" in the ongoing Middle East crisis. For Madrid, maintaining high-level dialogue with Beijing supports bilateral arrangements and offers an effective platform for broader international engagement.

Economic imperatives are even more pressing. Spain's persistent trade deficit with China remains substantial. As Spanish newspaper El País noted, Sanchez's visit seeks "an alternative path for Spain amid the US' escalating trade wars with the EU and Europe's marginalization." Against the backdrop of US protectionism and rapid global supply chain reconfiguration, Spain intends to pursue more stable export markets, sustainable investment sources and reliable industrial partners. Thus, expanding agricultural exports to China, attracting Chinese capital into energy transition and automotive sectors, and securing critical raw materials and rare earth supplies form the core economic goals of Sanchez's trip.

Compared to previous visits, this trip includes several notable features. The itinerary prioritizes technology, innovation and educational collaboration, including interactions with tech enterprises and a stop at Xiaomi's headquarters. This underscores Spain's shift towards frontier cooperation in digital technology, industrial modernization and innovation ecosystems. Cultural and educational ties are also emphasized, indicating Spain's ambition to broaden bilateral relations into societal and knowledge networks.

Of course, Sanchez's visit confronts practical challenges. Amid rising global uncertainties and a surge in European leaders' China trips, his visit follows last year's royal visit and aligns with Europe's broader recalibration of China policies. Sanchez has consistently championed diversified strategic partnerships through pragmatic engagement with China, stressing that this does not undermine traditional alliances. Yet, this balancing act is constrained by divergent EU policies on issues like electric vehicles, industrial subsidies and supply chain security.

From a wider perspective, Sanchez's visit transcends bilateral dynamics. Spain and China share common ground on respecting international law, upholding multilateralism and opposing unilateralism. This forms the bedrock for trade, investment and political coordination on global issues.

For China-Europe relations, Spain's intensified engagement with China – as a major EU member – sends a clear signal: Europe has not forsaken the potential for stabilizing ties through dialogue and cooperation.

Viewed in the continuum of Sanchez's prior three visits, his 2026 trip enters a new phase of "implementation, functional expansion and spillover enhancement." It represents not just continuity of past achievements but a progression towards deeper substantive cooperation and diversified strategic roles.

In sum, Sanchez's visit blends pragmatic economic imperatives with strategic foresight. If the first three visits built political trust, laid industrial foundations and established institutional frameworks, the fourth seeks to transform these into more resilient cooperative structures, clearer shared interests and strategic synergies with broader ripple effects.

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