Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has pledged his country’s commitment to fostering “solid and balanced” relations between China and the European Union, amidst growing strain caused by the intensifying trade war, Bloomberg reports.
Speaking ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, Sanchez emphasized the importance of mutually beneficial relations:
“We need mutually beneficial relations and to promote balanced trade and investments. Spain is a deeply pro-European country and sees China as a partner of the EU.”
Sanchez’s visit places him at the heart of the ongoing trade conflict between the US and China, particularly following Trump’s recent shift that has made China the primary target of the trade offensive.
Looking ahead, top EU officials are likely to meet with Xi Jinping as part of an EU-China summit later this year, according to sources familiar with the matter. While the exact date remains unconfirmed, the summit is tentatively planned for July.
The annual summit was initially slated to take place in Brussels, following the precedent of the previous summit held in China. However, due to Xi’s potential unavailability to travel to Brussels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa have agreed to a repeat visit to China, according to sources.
The South China Morning Post was the first to report on the planned summit.
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