Economic, cultural ties grow stronger as relations intensify
China and Spain are enjoying a "comprehensive strategic partnership", consistent with the joint communiqu signed by the two countries during President Hu Jintao's visit to Spain in November 2005.
Since being established on March 9, 1973, bilateral relations have witnessed smooth progress with steady expansion of cooperation and exchanges in various fields, including politics, economics and trade, science and technology, and culture.
A closer political relationship between the two countries has been forged with increasing communication between them and frequent visits by high-level dignitaries from both sides.
Spanish Prime Minister Jos Luis Rodrguez Zapatero, accompanied by his Minister of Foreign Affairs Miguel Angel Moratinos, visited Beijing in July 2005, and in November of the same year, President Hu Jintao paid an official visit to Spain.
The ongoing visit by King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofa of Spain is another milestone in the already strong bilateral relations between the nations.
Economic exchange
Recent years have seen a surge in bilateral trade, which grew to $21.34 billion in 2006 from $7.22 billion two years ago.
In spite of the trade boom, the unfavorable trade balance is a source of concern for the Spanish government, according to the Embassy of Spain in China.
Robust economic activity is noted not only in trade but also in investments, reflected in the rapid rise in the number of Spanish companies currently operating in China, which is now close to 450.
Compared with previous projects, which focused almost exclusively on manufacturing activities, Spanish investment is now increasingly coming from large companies involved in the finance, energy and communications industries. The tendency represents a qualitative shift, the embassy said.
The rise of China's economy and the emergence of a sizeable middle-income group have resulted in a marked shift of consumption patterns and the appearance of new demand in the service sectors.
As the world's leader in tourism-related services, Spain has much to offer in these areas to future Chinese tourists.
On the other hand, when considering foreign markets for investment, Chinese enterprises are in turn showing a growing interest in Spain and in finding business partners there.
Chinese investment in Spain has doubled since 2003, with most of the projects being related to the textile, fisheries, tourism, Chinese traditional medicine and real estate sectors.
This remarkable surge in mutual economic relations is partially attributed to the political commitment underlined during President Hu Jintao's visit to Spain in 2005.
A Strategic Cooperation Agreement was signed during that trip, which highlighted the importance of business cooperation as the foundation of future relations between the two countries, among other key points.
The Spanish Secretary of State for Trade, in affiliation with Spain's Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce, released "The Overall Strategy to Develop the Chinese Market 2005-2007" in 2005.
According to the strategy, the Spanish government will provide more than 700 million euros ($938 million) in aid to help Spanish enterprises gain a competitive edge in the Chinese market and will also seek to maintain a balance of trade between the countries.
Between 2007 and 2009, Spain is expected to carry out more than 460 activities to promote a variety of economic sectors in China.
Educational collaboration
Recent years have witnessed the Chinese government's continuing efforts to maintain and promote Spain's cultural and educational influence in China, to thereby encourage a deep mutual understanding between the two peoples.
Around 2,000 students are now studying the Spanish language in colleges and universities in China, and another 2,000 are studying Spanish by other means, like taking Spanish classes in training centers.
To promote Spanish language teaching in China, the government of Spain has sent language teachers to China, while encouraging cooperation between Chinese and Spanish universities and institutes.
Spanish universities are very active in international education expos held in China and keep in close touch with their Chinese counterparts.
Among them, Cervantes Institute plays a key role in promoting Spanish language teaching and cultural exchanges. Its Beijing branch was inaugurated on July 14, 2006.
At present, the Spanish Ministry of Education is working on a series of policies in a bid to make Spanish the second foreign language for middle school students in China.
A Spanish educational office was set up in China in 2005 to help expand Spain's educational presence here.
The Spanish government also encourages financial institutes like the Spanish Official Credit Institute to provide student loans and scholarships.
Meanwhile, Spain is attracting increasing attention from Chinese students for its relatively higher quality of education provided at a lower cost. This has led to Spain becoming a new overseas study hotspot for Chinese students, amply evidenced by the popularity of Spanish schools at the International Education Exhibition in 2006.
(China Daily 06/27/2007 page26)
