Sanchez, on his fourth visit to China in the past four years, spoke at Tsinghua University in Beijing. His visit comes at a time when many Western governments are striving to maintain cooperation with Beijing despite persistent security and trade tensions.
He stated that China can do more in combating climate change, advancing global health, regulating the development of responsible artificial intelligence, as well as nuclear weapons.
"For example, by demanding, as it does, respect for international law and an end to conflicts in Lebanon, Iran, Gaza, the West Bank, and Ukraine. Europe will also need to double its efforts, especially now that the United States has decided to withdraw from many of these fronts," he noted.
The Spanish Prime Minister is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, where the focus will be on geopolitics.
China accounted for 74 percent of Spain's total trade deficit, Sanchez said, adding that cooperation is crucial for building a balanced, globalized economy that generates shared prosperity.
Madrid hopes that Sanchez's visit will reduce Spain's trade deficit, which has more than doubled in four years and reached nearly 50 billion dollars in 2025. The goal is to increase exports of agricultural and industrial products to offset the high volumes of imports from China.