Catalonia dives into China and seals new alliances with leading provinces

BarcelonaThe Government has placed Asia at the top of its international priorities list. So much so that the president, Salvador Illa, made his first two intercontinental trips there, first to Japan and Korea, and then to China. This week the Minister of European Union and External Action, Jaume Duch, has returned to the Asian giant for the second time to continue working hard and strengthen the relationship between Catalonia and the country, while awaiting the finalization of the procedures to open the new delegation of the Generalitat in Beijing. This Friday, the minister signed on behalf of the Government two memorandums of understanding with the leading provinces of Jiangsu and Hainan, where he also participated in the Boao Forum, the Asian Davos.

What is the Government looking for in these two provinces? Located on the country's east coast, Jiangsu is one of China's most prosperous industrial powers: it has the second-highest GDP in the country and is the main destination for foreign investment. Thanks to the alliance sealed this Friday, Catalonia will exchange experiences in infrastructure, housing, and mobility, in addition to strengthening institutional, economic, and cultural ties.

On the island of Hainan, a booming tourist destination, lies the port of Yangpu, the free trade port with the greatest international projection. In the midst of a trade war waged by the United States, Hainan applies a zero-tariff regime for more than 6,600 categories of products. Now the Generalitat wants to develop relations with a view to benefiting the ports of Barcelona and Tarragona, a course of action that Duch already began to explore when he visited last August. This Friday, the minister defended that Catalonia must open up to the world "even more" and seek new spaces to position itself well in the new geopolitical order. In Hainan, and within the Boao Forum, he also held a meeting with its president, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who encouraged Catalonia to continue defending "peace and multilateralism".

It is the first time in a decade that Catalonia has signed two top-level agreements with regions of China. The executive council will ratify both this Tuesday. The minister's trip, which began in Canton, will end this Saturday with a visit to a technology plant and another to the Metropolitan Oriental Museum in Nanjing (Jiangsu).