China's President Xi Jinping arrived in Spain on Tuesday for a business-focused state visit as Beijing, currently engaged in a trade war with the United States, seeks to strengthen ties with Europe. Xi, who landed in Madrid according to a Spanish government spokeswoman, is scheduled to meet King Felipe VI on Tuesday evening and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday. No press conference is scheduled during his three-day visit, which is a stop-off on his trip to a meeting of Group of 20 leaders in Argentina.
"Spain is an important member of the EU; it is also China's good friend and good partner in the EU. We hope and believe that Spain will continue to play a positive role in the EU for the sound and steady growth of China-EU relations," Xi wrote in a column published in conservative Spanish daily newspaper ABC.
It is the first state visit to Spain by a Chinese president in 13 years. Both sides will sign at least 18 business and cooperation deals, including one that further opens up the lucrative Chinese market to Spanish products such as its treasured "jamon" cured ham which is hugely prized in the Asian country, the Spanish government said.
The world's top pork consumer, China has started getting a serious taste for Spain's world-famous "jamon," which is sold there as a luxury product. Spanish producers are hoping to expand their exports to the Chinese market. Spain, however, will not sign on to China's ambitious "One Belt, One Road" initiative that seeks to better link Asia and Europe, a senior government official said Tuesday ahead of Xi's arrival.
The multi-billion-dollar initiative, unveiled by Xi in 2013, aims to link the continents through a network of ports, railways, roads and industrial parks. Beijing plans to develop the network through 65 countries representing an estimated 60 percent of the world's population and a third of its economic output.
So far, around 70 countries have signed a memorandum of understanding pledging their interest in the project - an agreement that Beijing values as it seeks to expand the concept. In Europe, countries such as Poland and Greece have signed but the project has created considerable anxiety that it masks an attempted Beijing influence grab.
Xi will stop off in Portugal on December 4-5 on his way back to China from Argentina. At the Group of 20 summit Xi is due to meet with US President Donald Trump, who has imposed tariffs on more than $250 billion in Chinese goods in an attempt to pressure the country to reverse alleged unfair trade practices, such as the forced transfer of intellectual property and massive state intervention in markets. China responded by slapping tarriffs on $110 billion in US goods.