‘No one wants economic fragmentation or war,’ Spanish premier says in China

Upon his arrival in China on Thursday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez defended international cooperation around trade, climate change and the war in Ukraine.

“Our points of view may be different in some areas, but we should continue building bridges and our mutual trust,” said Sanchez during his speech at the Boao Forum for Asia on China’s Hainan Island.

On Friday, Sanchez will become the third European leader to visit Chinese leader Xi Jinping since the pandemic broke out, after the German chancellor and the European Council president late last year.

Before his visit, Sanchez said the war in Ukraine will be a key point for his talks with Xi. “It’s important to understand first-hand his position on peace in Ukraine and let him know that it will be the Ukrainians who will establish the conditions of peace,” he told the media last week.

However, his rhetoric at the Boao Forum has taken a more neutral and cooperative tone.

Sanchez told the audience that he met with more than 40 global leaders over the last week at the Ibero-American Summit and the European Council meeting.

“In every meeting, I’ve heard the same desire for peace, stability and prosperity. No one wants economic fragmentation or war,” he said.

He railed against economic protectionism and Russia’s “illegal and brutal aggression in Ukraine,” and called for more cooperation around global issues.

“We should level the playing field and guarantee reciprocity among partners. This means opening to the East, so the West doesn’t have to close in on itself,” Sanchez said.

Spain’s Socialist Party leader also described his nation as “one of the best places in Europe to invest and do business,” touting its geopolitical position and green energy.

French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are set to travel to Beijing in early April. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has also said that he will visit China soon.