The X9043 China-Europe freight prepare departs from Xi’an metropolis, Northwest China’s Shaanxi Province on November 17, 2025. Photo: VCG
China and Spain have deepened cooperation in sectors together with clear vitality and electrical automobiles lately, and win-win cooperation between the 2 international locations serves as an example for different European international locations, Pablo Iglesias Turrion, Spain’s former deputy prime minister, informed the Global Times in an interview.
China’s sci-tech achievements lately are outstanding, particularly the breakthroughs in synthetic intelligence (AI) and electrical automobiles (EVs), Turrion stated. “China’s sci-tech innovations have not only contributed to its own economic growth but also drives the engine of global sci-tech innovations and economic development to Asia,” he stated.
Pablo Iglesias Turrion Photo: Courtesy of Pablo Iglesias Turrion
With this 12 months marking the twentieth anniversary of the institution of the China-Spain complete strategic partnership, the 2 international locations have continued to broaden cooperation and faucet further potential, Turrion stated, highlighting bilateral win-win cooperation in areas like new vitality and EVs.
According to the Spanish Association of Automobile and Truck Manufacturers (Anfac), China has develop into Spain’s second-largest supply of automotive imports, surpassing Japan and trailing solely Germany, Xinhua reported in September.
“There is great potential for win-win China-Spain economic and trade cooperation in the future. For example, Spain can export more grain to China. What’s mostly important is that China’s new-energy technology can help Spain achieve energy transition and accelerate our country’s green development against the backdrop of global climate change,” Turrion stated.
Underscoring the robust momentum in bilateral cooperation, China and Spain signed 10 agreements protecting commerce, science and expertise, schooling and different areas, Xinhua reported.
Turrion stated Spain has benefited considerably from its cooperation with China, and that this win-win partnership serves as an example for different European international locations.
Strengthening cooperation with China is the “most sensible option” for the EU, Turrion stated, including that the current state go to by Spain’s King Felipe VI to China additional confirmed to Europeans that the world is now not unipolar and that China has develop into an indispensable strategic, financial and peace-building pressure on this planet.
As a analysis fellow accustomed to the historical past and politics of Latin America, Turrion emphasised the distinctive cultural hyperlinks between Spain and Latin America. He stated that Spain serves as a gateway to the area, whereas Europe can even act as a bridge for China to interact Latin America.
Looking forward, Turrion expressed confidence in China’s financial prospects and praised China’s nationwide plan to safe sustained financial improvement. “China has never imposed its political or economic system on others, but its development has had a profound global impact,” he stated.
At a key Party plenum in October, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee adopted the suggestions for formulating the fifteenth Five-Year Plan (2026-30), outlining China’s financial and social improvement priorities for the approaching 5 years.
China is poised to finish a number of strategic and duties throughout this era, together with reaching breakthroughs in core applied sciences in key fields, enhancing mechanisms for high-standard opening up, and reaching peak carbon emissions, in response to Xinhua.
“One of China’s greatest economic advantages lies in its implementation of five-year plans. For a large country like China, these plans effectively address developmental challenges. Currently, nations worldwide face distinct obstacles in their economic development, yet China’s five-year plan model has successfully navigated challenges, achieving sustained growth. This model holds valuable lessons for other countries,” Turrion stated.
Today, past the BRICS international locations, extra creating international locations are desirous to deepen financial and commerce cooperation with China, reflecting the attraction of China’s improvement strategy. Despite a fancy worldwide setting, China has continued to drive technological innovation and industrial upgrading — key pillars of its sustained financial progress, he stated.
Turrion was invited by the Centre for Spain Studies on the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences to attend the China-Europe Youth Dialogue in Beijing on Monday.
Commenting on methods to deepen mutual understanding between China and the EU, Turrion positioned his hopes on younger individuals.
Emerging applied sciences function highly effective instruments for younger individuals to reinforce cross-cultural communication and bridge ideological divides, he stated. The rising reputation of synthetic intelligence-powered translation instruments have enabled Chinese and European youth to interact in in-depth dialogues on any subject, creating unprecedented alternatives for genuine and profound mutual understanding.
He additionally emphasised the significance ofvalues-driven collaboration amongst youth. He singled out international challenges comparable to local weather change as important areas the place Chinese and European youth can work collectively and shoulder shared obligations to advance sustainable options.
The article was compiled based mostly on interview with Pablo Iglesias Turrion, Spain’s former deputy prime minister.
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