Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez arrived in Beijing on Thursday for a two-day visit at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
Sanchez will meet with Li and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China hopes to "deepen strategic mutual trust [with Spain], expand cooperation on global challenges, and elevate the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights." According to the China Global Television Network, Spain is China's fifth largest trading partner within the European Union and China is Spain's top trading partner outside the EU.