Madrid is set to host high-level talks between the United States and China in the coming days, a development the Spanish government views as an opportunity to repair strained ties with Washington while consolidating its role as a European interlocutor with Beijing.
The meeting will bring together U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, with both sides choosing the Spanish capital as neutral ground for continuing discussions. A senior government source in Madrid said Spain would seize the chance to “reset” relations with President Donald Trump’s administration.
Tensions have flared in recent weeks after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced restrictions on Spanish ports and airspace for vessels and aircraft transporting weapons to Israel. Washington labelled the measures “deeply concerning,” warning they could hamper U.S. operations.
Despite these frictions, Spain has long been a strategic ally, hosting U.S. forces at Morón air base and Rota naval base under a 1953 defence pact. Analysts note that Washington relied on Spanish bases during its June bombing of Iranian nuclear sites, underscoring the durability of the relationship.
At the same time, Spain’s partnership with China has grown warmer. Sánchez has visited Beijing three times in as many years and recently shifted Spain’s stance on EU tariffs for Chinese electric vehicles from supportive to abstention, aligning Madrid closer to Beijing as it navigates Europe’s trade disputes.
José-Ignacio Torreblanca, senior adviser at the European Council on Foreign Relations in Madrid, said the talks give Spain a chance to raise its concerns directly with Bessent. “We do not yet know who requested it, whether it was the Chinese, but it is good for Spain,” he explained. “This gives Madrid an advantage in future negotiations with Washington.”
By hosting the talks, Spain positions itself as a key bridge between the West and China at a time of global uncertainty, and hopes to leverage the spotlight to rebalance its delicate transatlantic diplomacy.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was ready to halt strikes on Russian energy facilities if Moscow stops targeting Ukraine’s ...
G7 foreign ministers called on Iran to end its arming and support of Houthis in Yemen, which they said constituted...
When U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on 24 September, trad...
Iran's military has threatened to launch sustained attacks on U.S. bases and interests across the Middle East if Washington resumes military action against Tehran.
The death toll from an overnight Russian attack on the Kyiv region rose to four, including three children, Kyiv regional authorities said on Sunday. A mother and her two 3-year-old children were killed when a Russian drone strike hit a private home, the emergency service said.
Overnight Russian strikes on the city of Sumy, northeast Ukraine, have killed one woman and injured a man, the country's State Emergency Service has said.
Russian parliamentary elections have delivered a comfortable win to the ruling United Russia party, which is closely aligned to President Vladimir Putin. With more than 95 per cent of ballots counted, United Russia has taken 57.83 per cent of the vote, up from the 49.8 per cent it won in 2021.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) took first place in state elections in northeastern Germany on Sunday, voting projections showed, delivering the worst result for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's mainstream conservative party since 1949.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was ready to halt strikes on Russian energy facilities if Moscow stops targeting Ukraine’s energy sector, critical infrastructure, and food exports, as he prepared to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in New York.
When U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on 24 September, traders will be watching for more than the outcome of the two leaders' talks.
Seven Ethiopian armed groups, including former enemies from the 2020-2022 civil war, have formed an alliance aimed at overthrowing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will announce a new AI defence partnership with the United States on Tuesday, aimed at strengthening the protection of critical infrastructure and detecting threats.
As world leaders gather in New York for the 81st UN General Assembly, the organisation faces wars, displacement, climate pressures and deepening geopolitical divisions.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment