China, Spain vow to strengthen friendly exchanges, open up new prospects for bilateral ties

NEW DELHI, March 3 (Xinhua) -- China and Spain have pledged to take the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties as an opportunity to strengthen friendly exchanges and open up new prospects for bilateral relations.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares made the remarks on Thursday during their meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in India's capital New Delhi from Wednesday to Thursday.

Qin said the two sides should speed up the resumption of exchanges between government departments, legislatures and local governments, and prepare for meetings such as the China-Spain joint commission on scientific and technological cooperation, the joint commission on economic and industrial cooperation, and the China-Spain Forum.

The two sides should expand cooperation areas and strengthen industrial partnership in green energy, electric vehicles and digital economy, Qin said, adding that China is ready to import more quality Spanish products and hopes that the Spanish side continue granting fair and equitable market treatment to Chinese companies.

The two sides should also strengthen communication and cooperation in international affairs and enrich the strategic connotation of bilateral relations, he said.

For his part, Albares said Spain and China are important economic and trade partners with fruitful results in mutually beneficial cooperation. Spain is ready to work with China to provide convenience for companies from both sides to invest in each other's countries.

The two sides will jointly hold a series of activities for the Spain-China Year of Culture and Tourism, set up more Spanish cultural centers in China, and enhance the friendship between the two peoples, Albares said.

Spain will take over the rotating presidency of the European Union (EU) in the second half of this year and is ready to actively promote the development of EU-China relations, he said.

Albares noted that the Spanish side appreciates China's position paper on the Ukraine crisis, attaches importance to China's status and influence as a major country, and looks forward to China's help in restoring peace in Europe.

Qin said China always supports the European side in upholding strategic independence and welcomes Spain to play the role of the rotating presidency of the EU to promote the sound and stable development of China-EU relations.

China is committed to the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis and promoting talks for peace, Qin said, adding that under the current circumstances, all parties should be calm and rational, and find a solution that truly respects the legitimate security concerns of all countries and is conducive to long-term peace and stability in Europe.