Taxi drivers are already talking about Pedro Sánchez in China

BarcelonaIn the regal auditorium of Tsinghua University, one of China's most prestigious, the Spanish Prime Minister has initiated the official visit to the Asian giant with a clear statement of intent in the form of a speech. Pedro Sánchez has advocated for strengthening multilateralism and, at the same time, reforming it to have a more representative and democratic UN Security Council that gives more power to southern countries. Although he has acknowledged China's efforts in defending international law, he has assigned it homework, for example, to get involved in ceasing conflicts in Lebanon, Iran, Gaza, the West Bank, and also in Ukraine. He has not forgotten about the economy and has demanded more balanced relations, recalling the large trade deficit with the Asian giant: "We need China to open up so that Europe does not have to close itself off".

Although the visit to the university has not generated the same excitement as the last trip by Macron, with students crowding to take selfies, Sánchez is currently very popular in China. For a couple of months now, social media has highlighted Sánchez's defiant stance against Trump. In fact, images of the president and his wife strolling on Sunday through tourist spots like the Summer Palace before starting the official agenda have gone viral. And it has even become common for taxi drivers to say his name, instead of Messi's, when you explain that you are from Barcelona.

This is Pedro Sánchez's fourth trip to China and it comes at a time of international crisis due to the war in the Middle East. The Spanish Prime Minister is reinforcing his international profile by showing closeness with Xi Jinping at a time of tense relations with Donald Trump.

China has deployed a gala protocol for a trip labeled "official." In the Chinese ceremonial regulations, this classification elevates the Prime Minister's visit from a working trip to one with a rank more similar to that of a head of state. This is why the president's wife, Begoña Gómez, has been included, and on Tuesday Xi Jinping will offer them a state banquet. For this reason too, Spanish flags are flying alongside Chinese ones at the airport and in Tiananmen Square.

The chosen venue for the first event was no accident. Tsinghua is one of the universities that best represent China's values. It is one of the oldest and is accessed by the country's best-prepared students, a place where history and excellence go hand in hand.

Before an audience of half a thousand students and professors, the Spanish president delivered a brief and concise speech, which was well-received by the public, although without generating enthusiasm. He spoke to defend Europe's key role in global stability, reminding them that, although it may seem small, it is the world's second-largest economy and the leading recipient of foreign direct investment. In addition to having the second most innovative ecosystem on the planet and high levels of well-being.

In his speech, Sánchez made a nod to history, which is so pleasing to the Asian giant, and recalled how Matteo Ricci arrived in China in 1583 with a very detailed map of the world, but with a biased perspective: Europe was in the center and China on the right margin. Ricci had to understand, Sánchez emphasized, that "the Mediterranean Sea was the center of our world, but not of others" and he redrew the maps using the Pacific as an axis and including the entire Eurasian continent. The president warned that, although more than 400 years have passed, "unfortunately, there are still people who continue to see the world as it appeared on that first distorted map" and insisted that China is a great power that represents a quarter of the global population and GDP.

Spain and the People's Republic agree on defending multilateralism, in the face of Donald Trump's attacks. Precisely while in Beijing they are talking about moving towards a more stable world, Donald Trump continues with his threats to Iran, warning about the risk that China is helping him militarily.

The Spanish prime minister's agenda included another cultural stop at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), where he was awarded the title of honorary professor. A recognition that few foreign personalities have received, but among them three Nobel laureates: Paul Nurse, David Gross, and Samuel C.C.

The event symbolizes the commitment to collaboration agreements on scientific matters. Sánchez has visited an exhibition that includes a selection of projects in which collaboration takes place in the fields of astronomy, satellites, marine sciences, agriculture, food, and particle accelerators. In the center's auditorium, a video was shown highlighting collaborations with projects such as the ALBA Synchrotron and agreements with UAB, UB, and CSIC.

Pedro Sánchez has also traveled to the technology company Xiaomi, where they showed him the new electric car models. At the headquarters, he met with the CEO and founder, Lei Jun, to whom he conveyed Spain's position as a European hub for digital infrastructure, data centers, and AI projects.