China–Spain relations

China–Spain relations have existed since the 16th century. Relations between Spain and the People's Republic of China were established in 1973.[1]

China–Spain relations

China
Spain

History

Contact between China and Spain first occurred between the Ming dynasty of China and the Spanish-ruled Philippines.

Spain fantasised taking over China.[2][3][4]

When the Chinese pirate Limahong attacked Manila in 1574, officials in Fujian Province were willing to let the Spanish establish a trade port on an island south of Xiamen, in return for Limahong's capture. However, the governor of the Philippines did not respond favourably, and the offer came to nothing when Limahong escaped from Manila.[5]

In 1598, Cantonese officials allowed Spain to trade in El Piñal, a port in the Pearl River Delta near Macau. The Portuguese in Macau reacted violently and chased away the Spanish from the area by arms in 1600.[5]

The Qing dynasty and Spain had diplomatic relations.

In 1927, a treaty recognising extraterritoriality was signed between the Kingdom of Spain and Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist government. The Spanish consul general in Shanghai was also the minister plenipotentiary to China.[6] The Republic of China had diplomatic relations with Spain under Francisco Franco.[7]

Francoist Spain's relations with the People's Republic of China began in 1973 after both countries were still reeling from the aftermath of civil wars.[1]

Manuela Carmena and Xi Jinping during the later's visit to Madrid in 2018

Relations have gradually improved, with official state visits and various exchanges.[8] Spain hosted Expo 2008, with China being a participant, and China hosted Expo 2010 in which Spain had a pavilion.

Bilateral relations

The volume of trade between the two countries has grown considerably in recent years. Total trade, at US$7.2 billion in 2004, had increased to $22.7 billion by October 2008.[1]

As a consequence, China has become Spain's sixth-largest trading partner.[1]

Spain held the rotating EU presidency from Jan 1 to June 30, 2010, and it indicated that it would support a lift in the EU arms embargo to boost two-way trade because in 2008, China's exports to the EU were 248 billion euros ($357 billion), but imports were only 78 billion euros.[9] This could improve trade between the EU and China by allowing China to import higher technology goods for which the Europeans are known.[9]

In July 2019, the UN ambassadors from 22 nations, including Spain, signed a joint letter to the UNHRC condemning China's mistreatment of the Uyghurs as well as of other minority groups and urged the Chinese government to close the Xinjiang re-education camps.[10][11]

Trade

While most cargoes are shipped between China and Europe (including Spain) by sea, there are direct container trains running from Yiwu (Zhejiang Province) to Madrid as well.[12]

During the Coronavirus crisis it was reported in April 2020, that 640,000 Antigen Coronavirus Test Kits which themselves were replacements for previously supplied faulty kits, bought from a Chinese company 'Bioeasy' had been found to be defective, prompting Spain to seek a refund.[13] The Spanish Health Ministry reported that faulty face masks bought from another Chinese company 'Garry Galaxy' had resulted in infections among health workers, requiring the isolation of over a thousand Spanish healthcare personnel.[14]

Resident diplomatic missions


  • Embassy of China in Madrid
  • Consulate-General of China in Barcelona
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See also

References
  1. China-Spain relations see steady growth
  2. Eugenio Menegon (2009). Ancestors, Virgins, & Friars: Christianity as a Local Religion in Late Imperial China. Harvard University Press. pp. 11–. ISBN 978-0-674-03596-6.
  3. Shirley Fish (18 May 2011). The Manila-Acapulco Galleons : The Treasure Ships of the Pacific: With an Annotated List of the Transpacific Galleons 1565-1815. AuthorHouse. pp. 96–. ISBN 978-1-4567-7543-8.
  4. "The Spanish Plan to Conquer China - Conquistadors in the Philippines, Hideyoshi, the Ming Empire and more".
  5. Sousa Pinto, Paulo Jorge de (2008). "Enemy at the Gates - Macao, Manila and the "Pinhal Episode" (end of the 16th Century)". Bulletin of Portuguese - Japanese Studies. 16: 11–43.
  6. Ruis-Castillo, Carlos Garcia (25 February 2009). Los fondos de las representaciones diplomáticas y consulares de España en China conservados en el Archivo General de la Administración: su contexto (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  7. Franco Wishes Pres. Chiang Success Archived 2016-06-01 at the Wayback Machine, Taiwan Today, December 19, 1965
  8. people.com.cn, June 10, 2008, Spain, China pledge to deepen relations
  9. Zhang Jin, 2010-01-21, (China Daily), Spain could ask EU to lift arms ban on China
  10. "Which Countries Are For or Against China's Xinjiang Policies?". The Diplomat. 15 July 2019.
  11. "More than 20 ambassadors condemn China's treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang". The Guardian. 11 July 2019.
  12. Shepard, Wade (2016-01-28), "Why The China-Europe 'Silk Road' Rail Network Is Growing Fast", Forbes
  13. "Spain seeks refund for defective coronavirus tests, after replacement kits also prove faulty". Elpais News. 21 April 2020.
  14. Benito, Emilio De (21 April 2020). "Faulty batch of face masks prompts the isolation of more than a thousand Spanish healthcare staff". Elpais News.
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