Spain presses China on tech sharing

Spain is pressing China to pair new investment with technology transfer as Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visits Beijing from April 11 to 15 for talks with Xi Jinping and Li Qiang. (bloomberg.com, reuters.com) Bloomberg reported that Spain and China were preparing a “High Quality Investment Agreement” aimed at linking Chinese projects in Spain to know-how sharing, local supplier contracts and job creation. Reuters reported that Sánchez’s trip is his fourth visit to China in as many years. (bloomberg.com, reuters.com) China’s Foreign Ministry said Xi, Premier Li and top legislator Zhao Leji would all meet Sánchez during the visit. Spanish public broadcaster RTVE reported that Sánchez also planned meetings with Chinese investors and innovative companies, while Madrid sought more investment and access to rare earths. (mfa.gov.cn, rtve.es) The demand cuts across a long-running European complaint: European officials have pushed Beijing to open its market while resisting pressure on European firms to part with proprietary technology. The European Commission’s China investment explainer says the European Union sought explicit rules barring forced technology transfer in its investment talks with Beijing. (ec.europa.eu, ec.europa.eu) Spain is making that case while trying to keep commercial ties with China moving. In 2024, the European Union imported €519 billion of goods from China and exported €213.3 billion, according to the Commission, which lists China as the bloc’s biggest source of imports and third-largest export market. (ec.europa.eu) That balancing act has sharpened since Brussels moved against Chinese electric vehicles. The European Union imposed definitive countervailing duties on battery electric vehicles from China in October 2024, and amended that regime again in February 2026 after a partial interim review. (ec.europa.eu, eur-lex.europa.eu) Sánchez has been arguing for a more open commercial relationship with China for months. During a September 10, 2024 Spain-China business meeting in Shanghai, he said Spain wanted “more trade and investment,” and during his April 11, 2025 trip the two sides signed agreements on exports, science, education and culture. (lamoncloa.gob.es, lamoncloa.gob.es) Beijing has framed the April 2026 visit as another step in a steadily closer relationship with Madrid. Whether Spain can turn that access into concrete technology-sharing terms is likely to become clearer after Sánchez’s meetings in Beijing conclude this week. (mfa.gov.cn, bloomberg.com)