Spanish king on first state visit to China

King Felipe VI of Spain arrived in Chengdu, the capital of southwestern China's Sichuan province, on Monday, kicking off his first state visit to China since he ascended the throne in 2014.

He will also travel to Beijing to meet Chinese leaders. According to media reports, King Felipe VI, in each of the two cities, will participate in a business forum, focusing on strengthening economic ties and exploring collaborative opportunities between the two countries.

The four-day visit is also the first by a Spanish king to China in 18 years. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Queen Letizia, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, and Minister of Economy, Trade and Business Carlos Cuerpo.

Ahead of the visit, foreign ministries of both countries expressed hope of cementing the traditional friendship and further strengthening the political and economic ties amid the current complex global economic and trade landscape.

Yao Jing, Chinese ambassador to Spain, told Xinhua News Agency that he believes that King Felipe VI's visit to China will contribute to advancing the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries with stronger strategic resolve and development dynamism.

Economic and trade ties between China and Spain are highly complementary, demonstrating vitality and resilience, Yao said, citing the significant growth in bilateral trade in goods, which has increased from about $20 million when the two countries established diplomatic ties over 50 years ago to more than $50 billion in 2024.

Currently, China is Spain's largest trading partner outside the European Union, while Spain is one of China's key trading partners within the EU.

The ambassador called for China and Spain to enhance the alignment of their development strategies and further explore the potential for collaboration.

Wang Huiyao, founder and president of the Center for China and Globalization, a Beijing-based think tank, said the close China-Spain relationship is characterized by strong political mutual trust and frequent high-level interactions, including three visits to China by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in the past three years.

The frequent and friendly high-level interactions between the two countries will help enhance people-to-people exchanges and encourage Chinese companies to increase investment in Spain, Wang said.

Wang said the visit would provide King Felipe VI with a more comprehensive image of China, as Chengdu — the king's first stop — is a burgeoning metropolis epitomizing China's transformative development in recent decades, particularly the nation's dynamic progress in its western regions.

Citing China's recent extension of unilateral visa-exemption arrangements for Spain and other European countries, Wang said it is a prime example of initiatives that inject fresh growth momentum into China-Europe relations.

He stressed that the China-Spain relationship is both a highlight and a stabilizing force in China's broader engagement with EU member states.