BEIJING — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez arrived in Beijing for a three-day visit from April 13 to 15, 2026, seeking to strengthen political and commercial ties with China. Sánchez is scheduled to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, the third-ranking leader of China's ruling Communist Party.

On Monday, Sánchez spoke at Beijing's Tsinghua University, where he urged China to assume a larger role in a multipolar world. He encouraged China to work more closely with the European Union on fighting climate change, promoting global health and controlling the development of responsible artificial intelligence and nuclear weapons. "We need China to do the same," Sánchez said.

The trip is Sánchez's fourth visit to China in just over three years. His previous visit to Beijing took place shortly after the Trump administration announced global tariffs. King Felipe VI of Spain made an official visit to China in November 2025, the first by a Spanish monarch in 18 years.

Spain, the eurozone's fourth-largest economy, has in recent years been less adversarial toward China than other EU member states. The Spanish government has said it wants to diversify its political relations with large powers, including China, India and the United States, while seeking to boost exports to China and attract more Chinese investment. China's exports to Spain are far greater than Spain's exports to China, and China accounts for about 74% of Spain's overall trade gap. Trade with China is conducted by the EU on behalf of its 27 member states.

Spain generates more than half of its electricity from renewable sources and needs Chinese critical raw materials, solar panels and green technologies as several European countries transition away from fossil fuels.

The visit comes as Spain's relationship with the U.S. has been strained by Sánchez's vocal disapproval of the conflict in Iran. The Sánchez government has publicly criticized U.S. and Israeli military actions in the Middle East. Spain declared its airspace closed to U.S. planes being used in Iran and refused the U.S. the use of jointly operated military bases in southern Spain. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Spain it risked cutting its own throat.

"Given the increased frictions with the U.S. administration, these annual meetings have taken on an increased importance," said Eric Sigmon, a political analyst and former U.S. national security adviser.

Spain has a population of 49 million people. China, the world's second-largest economy, has a population of more than 1.4 billion.