Spain's approach to China is viewed with a lot of caution and suspicion by a large part of its European partners. The Spanish government's attitude contrasts with that of, for example, the rest of the major European powers. The visit of the Kings to the Asian country, where they are dining tonight with the president, Xi Jinping, has only deepened the distance and concerns among the EU member states.
"If you look at what other countries are saying and doing regarding China, you can see to what extent Spain has become an anomaly," explain European sources consulted by this newspaper, summarizing the positions of Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands.
"The Italian Minister of Economy, Giorgetti, already called on the European Union to adopt a united stance against China to curb the threat to our industry. A similar sentiment exists in Germany, where the government coalition is taking the lead in reviewing the trade policy between China and Germany. The Netherlands has made a decision regarding Nexperia, and France is considering measures against Shein," these same sources elaborate.
The case of Nexperia mentioned is the Netherlands' decision to nationalize this Chinese-owned microchip company. The situation was later resolved as Wingtech, the owner of the company, halted exports of these essential components for cars but also for companies as significant as Bosch.
Regarding the case of Shein, French authorities ordered the inspection of up to 200,000 packages from the company last week to check for possible violations of regulations, a measure intertwined with the Paris Prosecutor's decision to initiate an investigation for "dissemination of images or representations of minors of a pornographic nature" affecting this same company, as well as the Chinese platforms AliExpress and Temu.
France even went as far as threatening to sanction Shein and prevent it from continuing its operations in the country, although the authorities did not ultimately carry out the threat, they continue to monitor the company. And in any case, these clashes of the first, second, third, and fourth economies sharply contrast with the position of the fourth. With Spain's approach.
Meanwhile, the European Commission prefers not to comment at this time. In the past, they were very critical of Pedro Sánchez's government, especially when the Prime Minister visited China and requested not to impose tariffs on Chinese electric cars during EU-China negotiations.
"The Commission is responsible for trade policy, and this type of statement weakens our position," was pointed out in September 2024, adding that one only needed to "follow the money" to understand Sánchez's statements. It is now very evident that Brussels has modified its position and even moderated it. They are avoiding direct confrontation with China, especially after the aforementioned microchip incident, which nearly suffocated the European automotive sector, and the restrictions on rare earths. Europe is in a position of clear weakness facing the pressure from the US and the Asian country, and Commission sources consulted prefer not to comment on Spain's approach and the Kings' trip. But one thing is not wanting to criticize Spain's approach, and another very different thing is embracing the communist giant.