BEIJING–The leaders of China and Spain on Tuesday pledged to work to safeguard multilateralism at a time of conflicts including the\u00a0war in Iran, with Chinese President Xi Jinping saying the countries should \u201coppose the world\u2019s retrogression to the law of the jungle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Xi said they should \u201cjointly safeguard genuine multilateralism,\u201d strengthen communication and cooperate closely, during a reception for Spanish Prime Minister\u00a0Pedro S\u00e1nchez\u00a0at the Great Hall of the People.<\/p>\n
S\u00e1nchez agreed and said China and Spain \u201ccan contribute to finding solutions to the various trade tensions that exist, to the geopolitical difficulties and complexities of today\u2019s world, to the wars, to the environmental and social challenges that afflict the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
S\u00e1nchez is on his\u00a0fourth trip in just over three years\u00a0to the world\u2019s second-largest economy. Spain is looking to strengthen political and commercial ties. The visit comes as S\u00e1nchez faces a strained relationship with the U.S. over his opposition to the war in Iran.<\/p>\n
Later, during a press conference, S\u00e1nchez said China was the only global player he could see helping end wars in Iran and other places such as Ukraine.<\/p>\n
\u201cI find it very difficult to find other interlocutors, beyond China, who can resolve this situation in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz,\u201d S\u00e1nchez said, urging the Asian giant to do more on the diplomatic front.<\/p>\n
S\u00e1nchez has been one of Europe\u2019s loudest critics of the U.S. and Israel\u2019s military actions in the Middle East. His government recently declared\u00a0its airspace closed to U.S. planes\u00a0being used in the Iran war, and said it is not allowing the U.S. to\u00a0use jointly operated military bases\u00a0in southern Spain for actions related to the war.<\/p>\n
In Beijing, S\u00e1nchez said his country wants to avoid impunity for those who commit crimes in places like Gaza, where he said a \u201cgenocide\u201d has been committed.<\/p>\n
\u201cInternational law is being violated today, fundamentally by one country: the government of Israel,\u201d he said. \u201cThere is also an absolutely illegal response from the Iranian regime regarding a war that we have described from the very beginning as a mistake and an illegality.\u201d<\/p>\n
One goal of S\u00e1nchez\u2019s trip is finding ways to reduce the trade gap with China. He said that after raising the issue with Xi, he sensed \u201cunderstanding and a willingness to work to achieve that balance.\u201d<\/p>\n
S\u00e1nchez said Spain will sign 19 agreements, 10 of them on the economic side, including some to expand access for Spanish agrifood products in China and boost exports.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe current trade imbalance between Europe and China, and between Spain and China, is excessive, and we must do everything possible to correct it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The prime minister added that China must see Spain and Europe as a place to invest.<\/p>\n
While S\u00e1nchez was in China, an investigative judge in Spain concluded a preliminary probe with the recommendation that his wife, Bego\u00f1a G\u00f3mez, who is traveling with her husband, stand trial on\u00a0allegations of influence peddling\u00a0and misuse of public funds. A court will decide if she does so.<\/p>\n
S\u00e1nchez has repeatedly asserted her innocence.<\/p>\n
When asked about the case that has dogged his wife for the past year, S\u00e1nchez replied that \u201cI only ask that the justice system render justice.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cI am convinced that time will put everything in its place.\u201d<\/p>\n
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