Footage of the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is broadcast on a giant screen, Beijing, April 14, 2026. PEDRO PARDO/AFP
While Angela Merkel considered it appropriate to visit China about once a year, Pedro Sanchez has now slightly exceeded that frequency. The Spanish prime minister is set to conclude his trip to Beijing on Wednesday, April 15 – the fourth visit in just over three years. Each visit has further cemented a diplomatic honeymoon, with Sanchez on Monday immersing himself in the dizzying world of Chinese tech and automotive industries during a tour of Xiaomi's headquarters, guided by the company's head, Lei Jun, a business visionary whose electric cars are selling at a breakneck pace.
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Pedro Sanchez: Strong on the world stage, vulnerable at home
The more political sequence took place on Tuesday, when Sanchez was received by Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People. Both leaders voiced extremely critical views of US policy and its consequences, and their messages converged. The Chinese president spoke of a "crumbling world order" and a struggle "between justice and strength." "The way a country views law and international order reflects its worldview, values and sense of responsibility," said Xi, in a clear reference to Donald Trump's policies.
