Reference News Network, March 21 report: On March 16, the Spanish website "China Lecture Hall" published an article written by Spanish economist Pedro Balagán titled "Europe and Spain Facing China," the following is a compilation:

In 2025, China's economy achieved a historic breakthrough, with its gross domestic product (GDP) exceeding 14 trillion yuan for the first time. This achievement demonstrates China's ability to maintain stable growth in a complex global environment, currently marked by tense geopolitical tensions, economic slowdowns in multiple regions, and profound technological and industrial transformations.

One of the most prominent features of China's economic performance in 2025 is the combination of strategic vision and operational flexibility. The long-term strategic framework reflected in the five-year plans provides a stable framework for investment guidance, scientific and technological innovation, and regional development; at the same time, the Chinese government implements policies effectively, flexibly adjusting fiscal, monetary, and industrial policies according to changing circumstances.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China focused on promoting high-quality development. China expanded domestic demand, upgraded manufacturing to high-value-added links, and made innovation the driving force of development. At the same time, China introduced special measures to stabilize employment, support small and medium-sized enterprises, and prevent systemic financial risks.

The result is that China's economic resilience has significantly strengthened, maintaining growth even in turbulent international environments. In 2025, China's GDP exceeded 14 trillion yuan, achieving the expected goals and laying a solid foundation for the next year's development.

This March, China held the highly anticipated National Two Sessions. The National People's Congress approved the outline of the "15th Five-Year Plan," clarifying key areas of economic and social development for the next five years.

The conference focused on people's well-being, scientific and technological innovation, green development, industrial modernization, and expanding domestic demand, especially emphasizing high-level opening up. China is committed to deepening integration with the world economy, improving the quality of foreign investment, and building a more transparent and predictable business environment.

Under this context, Sino-EU relations occupy an important position. The EU is one of China's major trading partners, and the mutual dependence between the two economies continues to deepen. European companies have actively participated in the markets of China's electric vehicles, high-end chemicals, industrial engineering, and environmental services sectors.

At the same time, Chinese companies have invested in renewable energy, logistics, e-commerce, and equipment manufacturing sectors in Europe. Although Sino-EU relations face challenges, there still lie broad opportunities as long as they are based on dialogue, mutual benefit, and mutual respect.

Within the European framework, the potential for Sino-Spanish relations is great. In recent years, bilateral trade has continued to grow, and the variety of Spanish exports to China has become increasingly diverse. Olive oil, wine, pork, and other agricultural products are widely popular in the Chinese market, while Chinese companies provide industrial goods, technology, and consumer products to Spain.

Beyond trade, bidirectional investment also brings new opportunities. Spain can benefit from China's green transition and urbanization process; Chinese investment in Spain helps promote industrial modernization, create jobs, and promote regional development.

Clean energy cooperation is a typical example. China is the leading producer of photovoltaic and wind power equipment globally, while Spain has a complete regulatory system and experience in connecting renewable energy to the grid. Cooperation in this field can achieve a win-win situation in economic and environmental benefits for both sides.

Looking toward the "15th Five-Year Plan," practical cooperation has become the core of Sino-European economic relations. The goals in trade and investment fields are to build a more stable, diversified, and risk-resistant supply chain; in terms of industrial development, the focus is on intelligent manufacturing, digitalization, and low-carbon transformation.

The importance of emerging cooperation areas is increasingly evident. Green development, artificial intelligence, and the digital economy provide broad space for joint projects, knowledge sharing, and standard recognition. Tourism and cultural exchanges are equally important. With the normalization of international personnel exchanges, the flow of students, researchers, and tourists promotes mutual understanding and brings direct economic benefits. In the agricultural sector, cooperation on technology, food security, and sustainable development can improve production efficiency and product quality.

The key to supporting cooperation lies in improving the financing and investment system. China has proposed building more diversified, sustainable, and risk-resistant mechanisms, including deepening capital market reforms, developing green financial tools, and improving the efficiency of international financial cooperation frameworks.

For partners in Europe and Spain, these developments help broaden financing channels in China, reduce risks, enhance the predictability of long-term projects, and simultaneously promote efficient capital allocation and balanced economic growth.

China's practice has proven that combining strategic planning, pragmatic style, and opening up can achieve substantial results even in uncertain times. For Europe, Spain, and the global economy, an open China pursuing high-quality development is an opportunity, as well as a source of common stability and growth. May we seize this opportunity. (Translation/ Han Chao)

Original: toutiao.com/article/7619631228508979755/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.