China, Spain Sign Trade Deals Worth 6.5 Billion Euros
By KUNA
A visiting Chinese delegation, headed by Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang, has signed 16 trade deals with the Spanish government worth 6.5 billion Euros (5.7 billion dollars) in the sectors of banking, energy, transport and communications.
An official statement issued here today said that this came after the meeting held between Keqiang and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
The two parties exchanged views on the international financial crisis and global economic recovery as well as ways to develop bilateral relations, especially on the economic level.
They also discussed ways to strengthen relations between China and the European Union along with a number of important issues on the international scene such as climate change, nuclear non-proliferation and the fight against poverty.
The statement added that both parties agreed on the need to deepen trade relations and increase trade flow to reach 40 billion Euros during this year by encouraging cooperation between companies in both countries and facilitating the way for investments as well as tourism activities.
The statement quoted Keqiang as saying that China “trusts the Spanish economy and will continue to buy its debt,” adding that “Spanish-Chinese diplomatic relations became stronger over the decades and that the two countries should work together and with full confidence to withstand the risks and challenges of the current economic situation.”
Keqiang arrived Tuesday in Madrid in a three-day visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations, particularly on the economic level, as part of a European tour including Germany and Britain.
Spain’s connections with China have been growing since the countries signed a strategic association during a visit by President Hu Jintao in 2005.
Keqiang will meet later with the King Juan Carlos and Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez while, on Tuesday, he met with Finance Minister Elena Salgado and Industry Minister Miguel Sebastian. A finance ministry statement said the two had discussed bilateral relations and the economic situation on in Spain, the European Union and China.
