Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez recently visited China and delivered a speech at Tsinghua University in Beijing, calling on China to take on greater responsibilities in areas such as climate change, international security, and artificial intelligence.
Analysis suggests that allowing a dictatorship to dominate global order is very dangerous, and the Chinese Communist Party cannot replace the United States.
From April 11 to 15, Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez visited China at the invitation. According to Xinhua News Agency, during his meeting with Xi Jinping, Sánchez expressed Spain’s opposition to a “new Cold War,” against “decoupling” and supported stronger cooperation between Europe and China.
According to Reuters, during his speech at Tsinghua University in Beijing, Sánchez stated that China should play a more active role in upholding international laws, promoting nuclear disarmament, controlling the development of artificial intelligence, and facilitating ceasefires in various areas.
In response to this, Shen Mingshi, a researcher at the Taiwan Institute of National Defense and Security Studies, pointed out the dangers of such a position.
He told The Epoch Times that the United States opposes the Chinese Communist Party “not because of ideological reasons, but because of the CCP’s expansion, as it is constructing a new set of international standards to counter the U.S.”
He warned, “Once the CCP’s values or model replace the U.S., democratic freedoms will also be affected, and allowing such a dictatorship to dominate global order is a very dangerous thing.”
Independent commentator Cai Shunkun told The Epoch Times, “It’s like watching an arsonist hand out gasoline while inviting them to come out as the fire captain.” He further explained that the CCP has long provided “economic space, supply chain support, and diplomatic cover” for regimes like Iran and Russia, and cannot be portrayed as a “peacemaker.”
According to analysis cited by The 21st Century Economic Herald, the Spanish Prime Minister’s visit has both economic and diplomatic strategic considerations. He hopes to introduce more Chinese technology, investment, and trade orders.
A few weeks ago, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) lowered its economic growth forecasts for Spain in 2026 and 2027, adding pressure.
The “China Global Investment Monitor Report” released by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) shows that in the past five years, China’s investment in major EU economies like France and Germany has been declining, but investment in Spain has been on the rise since 2019.
According to data from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China is currently Spain’s largest trading partner outside the EU, with bilateral trade exceeding $55 billion in 2025.
Reuters reported that China accounts for 74% of Spain’s total trade deficit, which has doubled in four years to nearly $50 billion by 2025.
The Spanish Prime Minister hopes to promote the export of agricultural and industrial products during this visit to alleviate the trade imbalance.
Regarding this, Shen Mingshi believes that “Spain’s trade deficit with China has surged in recent years, and seeking to boost the economy through Chinese investment is actually a short-term fix and unsustainable.”
Sánchez’s visit to China is not taking place in a calm diplomatic background. In March of this year, Spain announced its refusal to allow U.S. military use of its Rota naval base and Morón air base to participate in the U.S. military operation “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran, categorizing the action as a “unilateral and dangerous intervention.”
Within the framework of NATO, Spain has also not committed to increasing defense spending to the goal of 5% of gross domestic product.
President Trump has previously stated that due to Spain’s refusal to cooperate with U.S. military actions and failure to fulfill NATO obligations, the U.S. is considering severing trade relations with Spain.
Shen Mingshi believes that “the world should not rely solely on the U.S. to maintain order forever, but that does not mean we should place our hopes on the Chinese Communist Party, which has long supported anti-Western powers like Iran, North Korea, and Russia. An authoritarian regime that is itself funding war-seeking regimes cannot be a truly reliable global security guarantor.”
He emphasized that many countries within the EU are becoming increasingly wary of the Chinese Communist Party.