Opening a delegation in China? Island announces trip and more foreign action

SeoulCatalonia opens a new stage in international relations with its sights set on Asia. This, at least, is the intention of the President of the Generalitat (Catalan government), Salvador Illa, who this Saturday concludes his first official trip to the continent, which began on Monday in Japan and concluded in South Korea. Isla has not gone to these two countries to make grand announcements or to showcase an agenda with high-level political contacts, but rather to forge economic and cultural alliances that he hopes will bear fruit in a few years in new investments or understandings that will bring Catalonia closer to Asia, a continent the government does not want to lose sight of so as not to miss economic opportunities. To further strengthen relations with this region in the Trump era, Salvador Illa will travel to China the last week of July as part of the of the Generalitat's strategy to turn Catalonia into a "reliable partner" of Asia in the coming years.

Isla himself explained this during a media briefing to review his trip to Japan and South Korea, two countries where he began this rapprochement with a continent that is home to 60% of the world's population and will lead economic growth in the coming years. Although he hasn't moved forward, he has opened the door to the possibility of opening a delegation in the Asian giant, due to its geopolitical and commercial influence in the world. Among the new alliances he has established this week in Japan, he highlighted contacts with the Nikkei media group. and with the Kobe biomedical cluster"The purpose of this trip was to water and sow," he reiterated. "In China, I don't rule out a more political content," he added.

More trips

After his first intercontinental trip, which he took advantage of to inaugurate Catalan Week at the Osaka World ExpoIlla has defended the need for the Generalitat to make its presence felt abroad in a world where international alliances are changing, always in collaboration with the Spanish embassies (which have accompanied the president throughout this trip). Does this mean the president will pack his bags to introduce Catalonia to the world? "Yes. We need to see a president of the Generalitat who travels extensively outside of Europe and also within Europe," he argued. To conclude the trip, Isla visited Apple's Manufacturing R&D Accelerator at the Pohang University of Science and Technology (South Korea) this Saturday, where training is offered to small and medium-sized businesses.

At the same time, the government is still waiting to see how it will expand its network of delegations abroad, as agreed between the PSC and ERC in the investiture agreement.