Xi Jinping: "China and Spain are on the right side of history"

BarcelonaChinese President Xi Jinping told Pedro Sánchez this Tuesday that both China and Spain "are on the right side of history". He stated this at the beginning of the meeting the two held in Beijing as part of the Spanish president's official visit. Alluding to conflicts such as the one in Iran, Xi argued that the two countries agree on the defense of international law, which he said has been "gravely undermined", and urged the socialist leader to join efforts against the "law of the jungle" and in favor of peace and multilateralism.

"Both China and Spain have principles and advocate for justice, and we are willing to be on the right side of history," Xi said within the framework of the meeting, which took place at the Great Hall of the People. The Chinese leader expressed his satisfaction at meeting with Sánchez again, who is visiting China for the fourth time in four years, and underlined that since then, Hispano-Chinese relations have had stable development and this has also facilitated stability in relations between his country and Europe. All this after Sánchez asked the Asian giant this Monday to correct the trade deficit with Spain.

Sánchez: “It suits Spain and Europe to strengthen ties with China”

In response this Tuesday to his interlocutor, the socialist leader said that it is necessary for "Spain and China to be able to contribute to providing solutions to the different commercial tensions that exist and to the geopolitical difficulties and complexities of the current world, to wars, to the environmental and social challenges that affect the world".

In this regard, Sánchez has argued that "it is in the interest of Spain and Europe to strengthen ties with China" based on "respect" and with a "pragmatic spirit". The Spanish president has claimed that Spain is a "profoundly pro-European" country and has placed this rapprochement within a framework of defense of "principles and values", with the aim of "building bridges" in an international context marked by tension.

The socialist leader also stated that Europe must contribute "actively to the creation of a new global order that brings peace"; he conveyed to Xi his concern about the situation in Iran, Gaza, Lebanon and Ukraine, and encouraged China to play an active role in reforming the multilateral system. "I want you to know –he said, addressing Xi– that Spain will rise to the historical challenge that arises, that it will be brave, clear and predictable, and will always work for understanding between nations", he said.