Uzbekistan and the Persian Gulf: Why is the Middle East looking at Central Asia’s tech market?
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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is on a five-day visit to China, his fourth trip in four years, highlighting Spain’s push to strengthen economic and strategic relations with the world’s second-largest economy.
Spain has been one of Europe’s most vocal supporters of expanding trade ties with China, often framing the country as a strategic economic partner rather than a geopolitical rival. This contrasts with the more confrontational stance associated with Donald Trump.
Prime Minister Sánchez’s repeated visits to China reflect a deliberate strategy by Madrid to maintain strong engagement with Beijing, even as many Western nations adopt a more cautious approach.
The policy has gained domestic political support but has also raised concerns among businesses and opposition figures, who warn that growing friction with the U.S. could carry economic risks for Spain.
Trade between Spain and China has grown significantly, with bilateral volumes exceeding 50 billion dollars. Chinese investment in Spain has also accelerated, reaching 643 million euros in 2025, compared with 149 million the previous year.
Overall Chinese investment in Spain now totals around 9.7 billion euros between 2010 and 2025, concentrated mainly in energy and extractive industries.
Madrid is seeking to reduce its widening trade deficit with China, which has more than doubled over the past four years to nearly 50 billion dollars in 2025.
Spanish officials hope to boost exports, particularly in agriculture and manufacturing, to help rebalance trade flows.
On the first day, the Spanish leader visited the headquarters of Xiaomi, attended a business forum with Spanish and Chinese firms in energy, infrastructure, biosciences and technology, and delivered a speech at Tsinghua University.
Sánchez is also expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, with discussions likely to focus on geopolitics and broader bilateral relations.
Sánchez has also used the visit to call for a stronger Chinese role in global governance, urging Beijing to engage more actively on issues such as climate change, security and inequality, while advocating for a more balanced international order.
The trip underscores continued high-level exchanges between Spain and China and reflects Madrid’s effort to pursue an independent foreign policy, balancing transatlantic ties with deeper engagement in Asia.
China’s official news agency Xinhua News Agency said on Monday that Sánchez’s visit was set to further consolidate bilateral ties and pointed to a broader pathway for steady engagement between China and Europe at a time of growing global uncertainty.
Leaders from around the world are gathering in New York for the latest session of the United Nations General Assembly, with conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, global security, trade, artificial intelligence, climate change and economic development dominating the agenda.
World leaders return to the United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday for the fourth day of the high-level General Debate, with speeches and diplomatic meetings continuing throughout the day.
Iran has called for a diplomatic solution after U.S. President Donald Trump rejected its Hormuz proposal, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was awaiting a definitive U.S. response through mediators.
Iran on Saturday awaited a U.S. response to its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end fighting in the Middle East war after the Wall Street Journal reported that President Donald Trump had rejected the deal.
Six people have died after a two-storey residential building in a tourist area of central Athens collapsed, the Greek fire brigade said on Saturday (26 September), following an explosion that the mayor said was likely linked to gas infrastructure.
British police have arrested five men on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act after a major security incident was declared near RAF Fairford, a British air base used by U.S. air forces in Gloucestershire, England.
Afghanistan’s defence ministry says its forces killed 28 fighters and wounded 32 others in the eastern province of Nuristan after a group allegedly crossed the border from Pakistan.
South African police are searching for suspects after two separate shootings killed 27 people and injured 26 others within hours, highlighting the country’s persistent problem with gun violence.
Heavy rain and storms have triggered floods and landslides that killed 56 people in India, while in Nepal, 14 have died and another 11 are missing, with authorities there warning on Sunday that more flash floods are possible.
Six people have died after a two-storey residential building in a tourist area of central Athens collapsed, the Greek fire brigade said on Saturday (26 September), following an explosion that the mayor said was likely linked to gas infrastructure.
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