Raising mutual familiarity called priority

China and Spain should take concrete steps to deepen trade and other partnership activities as they mark the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, a senior Spanish scholar said.

Mario Esteban, a researcher at the Elcano Royal Institute and coordinator of the Elcano Report on Spain-China Relations in 2018, has included 25 recommendations in the report, covering methods to attract investment, promote mutual understanding, deepen exchanges and support multilateralism.

"I think the two countries should make trade more balanced and more deeply stimulate the potential for bilateral cooperation," Esteban told China Daily in an interview.

At the top of the agenda is for the two countries to get to know each other much better, he said. Each nation's knowledge of the other is unfortunately lower than that between China and many other member states of the European Union, Esteban added.

"As a consequence, Chinese views of Spain tend to be outdated and many Spaniards tend to either idealize or demonize China. In this context, it is only natural that the bilateral relationship is far from fulfilling its full potential," he said.

Therefore, increasing familiarity with each other should be a priority since it could have a cumulative effect on Chinese-Spanish relations, and this can be done through close cooperation in sectors such as education and tourism, he said.

At the formal presentation of the report at the Cervantes Institute in Beijing, Rafael Dezcallar, the Spanish ambassador, shared similar opinions, expressing his confidence in the great potential for further cooperation.

"The two countries have a constant and good relationship. Although there are sectors under exploration, the relationship is very healthy, and we welcome Chinese investors to our country," Dezcallar said.

In addition, the report recommended that trade and investment should be more balanced.

Esteban said Sino-Spanish relations have developed greatly in recent decades, though imbalances also exist, especially in terms of trade and investment.

Spain's advanced service industries are responsible for over two-thirds of the nation's GDP. As China opens wider to the world, great potential can be seen in the rise of transnational service companies.

Esteban said China is championing international connectivity through the Belt and Road Initiative and liberalizing its economy. Accelerating domestic reforms in China and implementing more initiatives like the recent China International Import Expo will be welcomed in open societies like Spain and the rest of Europe.

Building an effective multilateral order is another recommendation. Esteban said opinion polls show that Spaniards do not see the rise of China as a threat. There is no significant concern about China playing a growing role in international affairs.

The question is how increasing Chinese influence in the international community will affect prosperity and security in Europe, he said.

Esteban said despite differences in some areas, Chinese and Europeans have already proved in different international forums and UN peace missions that they can cooperate fruitfully. That is true not only at the bilateral level but also for building an effective multilateral order conductive to a more prosperous, peaceful and sustainable world as reflected in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

"We should move further along that path, following a cooperative mentality, focusing on absolute gains instead of relative gains, and acting on values such as reciprocity, mutual benefits and respect for international law, instead of prioritizing a self-serving balance of power," Esteban said.

(China Daily 11/28/2018 page3)