The President of the Government defends in a meeting with international leaders and companies that Spain is “one of the best places in Europe to do business”
Pedro Sánchez began his two-day visit to China this Thursday with a denunciation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Humanity faces global challenges on an unprecedented scale: the climate emergency, the pandemic and the brutal and illegal assault of Russia contra Ukraine, that is causing an enormous humanitarian crisis, food insecurity, inflation and debt in a growing number of vulnerable countries”, the Spanish president pointed out during the inauguration of the Forum of Boao, an Asian meeting between political leaders and companies similar to the one held every year in Davos (Switzerland).
The head of the Executive usually refers to the Russian invasion in these terms, but his words have a meaning in China special relevance. The Asian giant is one of the countries closest to Vladimir Putin, whom Sánchez has avoided quoting in his speech. Its president, Xi Jinping, with whom the leader of the PSOE will meet on Friday in Beijing, has just returned from Moscow, where he met with his Russian counterpart, and has recently launched his own proposal to achieve peace in Ukraine.
The Government of Volodímir Zelenski rejects the initiative, because it avoids condemning the presence of Russian troops in the invaded country and does not stop at the return of territories. But at Moncloa, despite their alignment with Ukraine, they value the Chinese approach. Above all, because it rejects the use of nuclear weapons and defends respect for sovereignty of the states.
The economic side
Sánchez’s trip has a huge political dimension international. The Spanish president, Moncloa sources explain, seeks to feel China’s will to try to end the conflict in Ukraine and also, if possible, to learn first-hand what putin said to xi last week in Moscow. But the visit also has its economic aspect. china is the main supplier of Spain and the socialist leader also wants to take advantage of this trip to reactivate tourism from the Asian giant, slowed down by the coronavirus. Every Chinese spends 2,500 euros on average per trip, according to the Spain-China Tourism Association. Now that China has left its covid zero behind and has once again authorized group travel to Europe (the measure began to be applied on March 15), Sánchez wants to convey the message that They will facilitate visas. This is what he will do on Friday, during a meeting in Beijing with the main tour operators from the Asian country.
The Spanish president has also focused in his speech, delivered in English, on the business relationships of the Asian country with Spain and the EU, whose presidency will be assumed by Spain during the second half of this year. China and Europe must compete in some areas and cooperate in others. And let me be frank, we will continue to defend European values, principles and views from an independent perspective. we will not give up to them”, the Spanish president has made clear.
In this sense, the socialist leader has highlighted three aspects in which the “collaboration” between China and the EU must be “immense”: strengthen the multilateralism, accelerate the fight against climate change and comply with the Sustainable Development Goals and reform the financial architecture International.
“Spain is today one of the best places in Europe to invest and do business – concluded Sánchez. We offer an ideal geopolitical position, being located at the intersection of three continents, a vibrant and strong private sector, world-class digital and physical infrastructure, a highly-skilled workforce, affordable clean energy, and institutional stability and the legal security that investments need to prosper”.