The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, met today with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, with whom he agreed to continue advancing and deepening bilateral relations between the two countries through a new structured intergovernmental meeting format. Following the meeting, the Minister also confirmed that construction of a new Embassy headquarters in Beijing will begin in 2026.
The visit to Hangzhou coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Spain and China. During the meeting, the Ministers took the opportunity to review the bilateral relationship with a view to further advancing and deepening this strategic partnership. In particular, Albares announced two milestones that “will boost our presence and our relationship” with China.
Greater presence
Construction of a new Embassy headquarters in Beijing will begin in 2026. The building will bring together all offices of the various Spanish departments, the Consulate and the Ambassador’s residence, in a project valued at over €10 million.
The Minister added, “we have agreed to develop and formalise our relations even further through the creation of an intergovernmental-level meeting”, which takes our bilateral relations to the highest level.
Balanced relations
Economic relations were also an important topic of the meeting. Sectors of particular importance and interest to Spain, such as pork, agri-food, automotive, and renewable energy, were discussed, as Spanish companies still have room for growth in these areas.
Following a prior meeting with Spanish business representatives based in China, Albares urged his counterpart to ensure reciprocity and balance in public tendering, both in terms of investment and trade.
International campus
The visit to Hangzhou concluded with the inauguration of the new international campus of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, the Beihang Valencia Polytechnic Institute (BVPI) — the first Spanish university centre to deliver in-person teaching abroad. The campus is expected to accommodate 2,000 students and will offer undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programmes.
“This new campus marks a milestone in our countries’ relations,” Albares stated. “It is a pioneering project uniting two traditions of academic excellence, those of Beihang and the Universitat Politècnica de València, and symbolises the very best of the relationship between China and Spain,” he added.
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