Spain’s Prime Minister visited China last in March 2023 when Spain held the rotating European Union presidency. File photo
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top officials on Monday (September 9, 2024) during his second trip to China in a year-and-a-half that comes amid a spat over electric cars.

The centre-left Socialist leader will also attend a business forum in Beijing for Spanish and Chinese companies before travelling to Shanghai later Monday (September 9, 2024). The next day he will attend more business events and the inauguration of a Cervantes Institute, a centre that promotes Spanish language and culture.

Prior to holding talks and dining with Chinese President Xi, Spanish PM Sánchez will meet with his Chinese counterpart, Li Qiang, and the head of the ceremonial legislature, Zhao Leji. Sánchez arrived late Sunday (September 8, 2024) and departs Wednesday (September 11, 2024).

Mr. Sánchez visited China in March 2023 when Spain held the rotating European Union presidency.

Spain was among the EU members that expressed support earlier this year for a 36.7% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles. The Chinese government responded by launching an investigation into EU pork imports.

EU exports of pork products to China hit a peak at 7.4 billion euros (USD 7.9 billion) in 2020 when Beijing had to turn abroad to satisfy domestic demand after its pig farms were decimated by a swine disease. EU pork exports to China have dropped since then, hitting 2.5 billion euros (USD 2.6 billion) last year. Almost half of that total came from Spain.

The tension over pork has not stopped Spain from welcoming the plans of Chinese carmaker Chery to open a plant for electric vehicles in Barcelona.

Washington:

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday urged the West to reject “double standards” regarding the conflict in Gaza as he joined NATO leaders in supporting Ukraine.

Spain under Sanchez has infuriated Israel’s right-wing government by recognizing a Palestinian state and criticizing Israel’s conduct of its war against Hamas.

“If we are telling our people that we are supporting Ukraine because we are defending the international law, this is the same to what we have to do towards Gaza,” he said at NATO’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington.

The socialist leader said there should be a “consistent political position” in which “we don’t have double standards.”

Sanchez said the world needed to press to “stop this terrible humanitarian crisis” affecting the Palestinians and called for an international peace conference to push for a Palestinian state.

“We need to create the conditions for an immediate and urgent ceasefire,” he said. “There is a real risk of escalation to Lebanon.”

Sanchez said he also supported “democracy, freedom and the right to exist of a country such as Ukraine.”

NATO leaders at the summit issued a declaration that said Kyiv was on an “irreversible” path to join the alliance.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A picture of a TV screen taken on May 28, 2024, shows Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez delivering a speech over the recognition of Palestinian statehood by Spain, at La Moncloa Palace in Madrid.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the Spanish Cabinet will recognise a Palestinian state at its May 28 morning meeting as a European Union rift with Israel widens.

Ireland and Norway were also to make official their recognition of a Palestinian state later in the day. While dozens of countries have recognised a Palestinian state, none of the major Western powers has done so.

“This is a historic decision that has a single goal, and that is to help Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace,” said Sánchez, standing at the gates of the prime minister’s palace in Madrid, during a televised speech.

The Socialist leader, who announced his country’s decision before parliament last week, has spent months touring European and Middle Eastern countries to garner support for recognition and a cease-fire in Gaza.

Relations between the EU and Israel nosedived Monday, the eve of the diplomatic recognition EU members Ireland and Spain, with Madrid insisting that the EU should take action against Israel for its continued deadly attacks in southern Gaza’s city of Rafah.

Norway, which is not an EU member but often aligns its foreign policy with the bloc, handed diplomatic papers to the Palestinian government over the weekend ahead of its formal recognition of a Palestinian state.

Also Read | Israel to reprimand Irish, Norwegian, Spanish envoys over Palestine recognition

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz told Spain that its consulate in Jerusalem will not be allowed to help Palestinians.

At the same time, the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell threw his weight to support the International Criminal Court, whose prosecutor is seeking an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others, including leaders of the Hamas militant group.

In his speech on Tuesday, Mr. Sánchez said that the recognition of a Palestinian state was “a decision that we do not adopt against anyone, least of all against Israel, a friendly people whom we respect, whom we appreciate and with whom we want to have the best possible relationship.”

He called for a permanent cease-fire, for stepping up humanitarian aid into Gaza and for the release of hostages that Hamas has held since the October 7 attack that triggered Israel’s response.

Mr. Sánchez also laid out his vision for a state ruled by the Palestinian National Authority that must connect the West Bank and Gaza with East Jerusalem through a corridor.

“We will not recognise changes in the 1967 border lines other than those agreed to by the parties,” Mr. Sánchez added.

New Delhi:

Spain’s President Pedro Sanchez has announced that he tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and will not be able to attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi.

President Sanchez said that he was feeling “fine”, adding that Spain would be represented at the G20 Summit by First Vice President Nadia Calvino Santamaria and Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares.

“This afternoon I have tested positive for COVID and will not be able to travel to New Delhi for the G20 Summit. I feel fine. Spain will be magnificently represented by the First Vice President and Minister of Economic Affairs and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Esta tarde he dado positivo en COVID y no podré viajar a Nueva Delhi para asistir a la Cumbre del G-20.

Me encuentro bien.

España estará magníficamente representada por la vicepresidenta primera y ministra de Asuntos Económicos y el ministro de Exteriores, UE y Cooperación.

— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) September 7, 2023

President Sanchez joins Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping as the third world leader to withdraw from the summit. 

The G20 Leaders’ Summit will be held in the national capital on September 9-10. More than 30 heads of state and top officials from the European Union, invited guest countries, and 14 heads of international organisations are expected to attend.