Ninth meeting of China-Spain Forum held in Beijing

BEIJING, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez jointly attended the opening ceremony of the ninth meeting of the China-Spain Forum in Beijing on Monday.

Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations more than half a century ago, China-Spain relations have been developing continuously.

Especially in the new era, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the political mutual trust between China and Spain has been increasingly consolidated, pragmatic cooperation has yielded fruitful results, while cultural and people-to-people exchanges have been rich and colorful, he added.

Liu noted that standing at the new starting point of the next 50 years of China-Spain relations, the two sides should give full play to the role of mechanism platforms such as the China-Spain Forum.

Liu said the two sides should provide fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for each other's enterprises, strengthen cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, green energy and environmental protection, and promote mutual understanding and friendship of the two peoples.

Spain is welcome to participate deeply in China's opening-up process, enjoy shared development dividends, achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, and push bilateral relations to a new level, he said.

Sanchez said the international situation is complex and unpredictable, but that there are also opportunities. Spain and China should be full of confidence, strengthen cooperation and jointly deal with global challenges.

Spain is willing to strengthen dialogue and exchanges in various fields with China through the China-Spain Forum and other platforms, deepen local cooperation, green development cooperation and cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and promote the further development of bilateral relations, he added.

The forum is co-sponsored by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Spain-China Council Foundation. About 300 representatives from the governments of the two countries, relevant provinces, cities, universities, enterprises and other sectors attended the forum. ■