On March 30 and 31, the Spanish premier Sanchez will be in the Chinese capital. He has interviews with both new Prime Minister Li Qiang and President Xi Jinping. And he flies there almost immediately after a visit to Latin America.
president of the EU
It shows that Madrid is increasingly positioning itself as one of the best players in the international arena, says correspondent Jorn Lucas from Spain. ‘What matters is that Spain becomes president of the European Union from July. But the international position of the country is nevertheless becoming increasingly important. Just like the role of China. The two meet during Sanchez’s visit to China.”
The Spanish prime minister will speak about the Spanish-Chinese trade, which is growing in importance. “But he will also try to find out what Xi said to Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to Moscow.”
Every bit helps
The Spanish position, according to Lucas, is clear: there must be an immediate ceasefire and talk about the territories occupied by the Russians, including the Crimea.
“But don’t expect Spain to suddenly become the great peacemaker,” Lucas adds. ‘Diplomacy requires a lot of conversations and contacts. Every little thing helps with that.’