The 10th Spain-China Forum was held in Madrid, Spain from February 5 to 6. More than 150 representatives from the governments, think tanks, businesses, and media of both countries engaged in in-depth discussions on topics including “sports diplomacy as a bridge between societies”, “legal frameworks as a foundation for cooperation”, and “economic and trade synergy for win-win cooperation”, reaching broad consensus.
The Forum was co-hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the Spain-China Council Foundation under the theme “Cooperation in a Changing World: China and Spain Jointly Addressing Global Challenges”. It features three roundtables on sports, laws, and local, economic and trade affairs.
At the opening ceremony, José Manuel Albares Bueno, Spanish Foreign Minister, stated that Spain-China relations are currently at their best in history, with fruitful high-level exchanges and far-reaching outcomes. He emphasized that Spain attaches great importance to developing relations with China and stands ready to take this Forum as an important opportunity to remain true to the original aspiration of establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, carry forward their tradition of friendship, deepen strategic mutual trust, and advance the comprehensive strategic partnership to a new stage.
Yang Wanming, President of the CPAFFC and Chinese Executive Chair of the Forum, stated that in 2025, President Xi Jinping met with King Felipe VI during the King’s state visit to China, and the two heads of state reached an important consensus on making good preparations for holding the 10th Spain-China Forum. He noted that the CPAFFC stands ready to work with its Spanish counterparts to fully implement the important consensus reached by the two leaders and make full use of the Forum: to uphold multilateralism and safeguard the stability of international order through respect for the rule of law; to pursue mutual benefit and win-win outcomes by advancing practical cooperation to address global development bottlenecks; and to invigorate people-to-people exchanges by leveraging the dynamism of youth to deepen mutual understanding between the two peoples.
Oskar Goitia, President of the Spain-China Council Foundation and Spanish Executive Chair of the Forum, said that the Spain-China Forum, as an important mechanism for friendly dialogue between the two countries, provides a valuable platform for exchanges among political, business, and academic communities. He expressed the hope that, building on the achievements of the previous nine editions, this session would further unlock the potential for bilateral cooperation and contribute to practical exchanges and collaboration across various fields between Spain and China.
