Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called on China to use its global influence to demand an end to conflicts in Iran, Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank, and Ukraine during his fourth visit to Beijing in just over three years, as Spain navigates deepening tensions with the United States over the Iran war.
Sánchez began the visit on Monday, April 13, 2026, and is in China through Wednesday. Speaking at Beijing's Tsinghua University on Monday, a day before scheduled meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and China's top lawmaker Zhao Leji, Sánchez urged China to assume a larger role in a multipolar world. "China can do more. For example, by demanding ... that international law be respected and that the conflicts in Lebanon, Iran, Gaza and the West Bank and Ukraine cease," he said.
A Strategic Shift Amid US Friction
The visit comes as Spain has positioned itself as Europe's most vocal critic of U.S. and Israeli military actions in the Middle East. The Sánchez government recently declared its airspace closed to U.S. planes being used in the Iran war and refused the U.S. the use of jointly operated military bases in southern Spain. "Especially now that the U.S. has decided to withdraw from many of these fronts," Sánchez said, encouraging China to play a larger role alongside the EU to fight climate change, promote global health, and control the development of responsible artificial intelligence as well as nuclear weapons.
Spain says it wants to diversify its political relations with the world's large powers, including Beijing. Eric Sigmon, a Madrid-based political analyst and a former U.S. national security adviser, said, "Given the increased frictions with the U.S. administration, these annual meetings have taken on an increased importance."
Economic Dependence and Green Transition
Spanish officials have said the government wants to shore up more Chinese investment and boost exports to China, even though trade policy is conducted by the European Union on behalf of all 27 member states. The southern European nation, which generates more than half its electricity from renewable sources, needs Chinese critical raw materials, solar panels and green technologies, similar to other European countries transitioning away from fossil fuels.
However, the economic relationship remains deeply imbalanced. Spain, the eurozone's fourth-largest economy, has been less adversarial toward China than other EU countries in recent years. It has sought to reposition trade relations with China, whose exports to Spain are far greater than those of the Iberian nation of 49 million people. China has a population of more than 1.4 billion people. Sánchez's government has had little success, with China accounting for about 74% of Spain's overall trade gap.
Alicia García-Herrero, chief economist for Asia Pacific at the French investment bank Natixis, said, "This repeated annual pilgrimage by Sánchez — his fourth in four (calendar) years — highlights an increasingly one-sided and unbalanced relationship." She said China serves as "a relatively soft, conciliatory partner" that advocates for dialogue over tougher EU measures.
Diplomatic Outreach Continues
Sánchez is set to meet Tuesday with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and China's top lawmaker, Zhao Leji, the third-ranking leader of its ruling Communist Party. Spain's King Felipe VI also made an official visit to China last November, the first time in 18 years that a Spanish monarch did so, demonstrating the nation's interest in bolstering its relationship with Beijing.
Sánchez also said, "We need China to do the same. To open up so that Europe doesn't have to close itself off," referring to the need for reciprocal trade relationships. Sánchez's last visit to Beijing ruffled feathers in Washington and took place shortly after the Trump administration announced sweeping global tariffs. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at the time warned Spain about "cutting your own throat."
Why This Matters:
Spain's diplomatic outreach to China reflects a critical juncture for smaller European democracies seeking to maintain principled foreign policy positions while managing economic dependencies and strained transatlantic relations. As the U.S. steps back from multilateral climate and security commitments, Spain's appeal to China highlights the challenge facing nations that oppose military escalation in Iran and the broader Middle East but lack the economic leverage to influence outcomes independently. The trade imbalance—with China accounting for 74% of Spain's trade gap—underscores how dependence on authoritarian economies for green technology and critical materials can constrain democratic nations' ability to advocate for human rights and international law. For workers and communities across Europe invested in renewable energy transitions, Spain's experience reveals the need for stronger EU-wide industrial policy and supply chain diversification to ensure the green economy doesn't deepen reliance on undemocratic partners.