THE Spanish king will pay a state visit to China next week, becoming the first European monarch to do so in seven years.
King Felipe VI will head to Beijing for a four-day tour between November 10 and November 13, also becoming the first Spanish monarch to make a state visit to the country since his disgraced father 18 years ago.
The high-level visit is the latest part of a charm offensive orchestrated by prime minister Pedro Sanchez, whose government has been described as the most openly pro-China administration in western Europe.
Spain has continued to woo Chinese economic interests despite strong opposition from US President Trump, who has implemented a series of sweeping tariffs against goods and services from China.
READ MORE: Spain boosts international profile by hosting crunch trade talks between China and US in Madrid
Sanchez has visited China three times in the past three years – his most recent trip coming earlier in the spring as he disregarded a warning from US treasury secretary Scott Bessent that moving closer to the Asian country would be ‘cutting your own throat’.
“We believe there are opportunities to deepen relations, but it’s important that China shows sensitivity to European demands for more balanced relations,” Sanchez said during the visit in April.
King Felipe will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during the tour, which coincides with the 20th anniversary of a ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’ agreed by Madrid and Beijing.
He will be joined by foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares and economy minister Carlos Cuerpo, alongside a host of corporate leaders representing sectors including food, energy and pharmaceuticals, according to a business official who spoke to the Financial Times.
Spanish officials will hope to use the historic visit to boost exports to China and lure in investment such as a new €4 billion battery plant planned by Chinese manufacturer CALTL near Zaragoza.
In 2024, Spanish imports from China exceeded €45 billion, according to data from the finance ministry, although exports barely reached €7.4 billion.
In the first eight months of 2025, Spain had a €26.9 billion trade deficit with China – a whopping 77% of its total deficit of €35.1 billion.
Earlier this autumn, the Spanish capital played host to crunch talks between China and the United States over their ongoing trade war.
Trade envoys from the two superpowers descended on Madrid’s baroque Palacio de Santa Cruz to thrash out a deal over a range of issues, including the future of the immensely popular Chinese-run social media app TikTok.
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