Spain's Second Vice President, Yolanda Díaz, visits China to deepen practical cooperation in agriculture and other sectors.

Yimi / Yi Mi Xi Yu | May 22, 2026

On May 18, 2026, the Second Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Spain and Minister of Labor and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz Pérez, made an official visit to China, where she held a series of high-level meetings and working sessions. This visit, which follows the recent trip of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, represents another important high-level exchange between China and Spain. It also serves to effectively implement the consensus reached by the leaders of both nations and promote the deepening of bilateral practical cooperation.

During his visit, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng received Díaz and his delegation for a in-depth exchange of views on strengthening friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries. The Chinese side expressed its willingness to defend multilateralism together with Spain, promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, and strengthen cooperation in areas such as industrial and supply chains, as well as technological innovation, in order to contribute to the stable development of the global economy.

For her part, Díaz responded positively, stating that Spain will continue to foster its cooperation with China to share the opportunities arising from the Asian country's opening up and development. On the same day, State Councilor Shen Yiqin also met with the delegation, agreeing to deepen cooperation in areas linked to social welfare such as culture, tourism, sports, employment, and social security, so that the fruits of this alliance directly benefit the citizens of both nations.

In the realm of economic, commercial, and agricultural cooperation, Díaz held a high-level meeting with the Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives of China. Both sides thoroughly discussed key issues such as food security, agricultural product trade, agricultural technology research and development (R&D), and the development of the cooperative economy. The Chinese side presented the advantages of its agricultural service network and its urban-rural coverage system, developed over more than 70 years. This model received significant recognition from the Spanish delegation. Both sides agreed to strengthen collaboration in agricultural technology, seed industry innovation, and the promotion of new rural business models, in addition to boosting two-way trade of agricultural products to achieve complementary advantages and mutual benefit.

Following official meetings, Díaz and his entourage visited the facilities of Sino-Agri Group and the E-commerce Company of China Cooperatives. There, they gained firsthand knowledge of advancements in pesticide development, innovation in the seed industry, agricultural socialization services, and the results of the «Platform 832» for connecting agricultural production and marketing for charitable purposes. This technical visit allowed the delegation to directly observe China's achievements in agricultural modernization and rural digitalization.

Ultimately, this trip has consolidated the foundations of bilateral cooperation in agriculture, social welfare, economy, and trade, injecting new dynamism into the development of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Spain and China.

Note: Some of the text and images in this article are from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Xinhua News Agency, and China News Service.