ChinaToday(CT):Howwouldyouvaluethecurrentlevelofrelationsbetweenthetwocountries?What鈥檚theagendatocommemoratethe45thanniversaryofdiplomaticrelationshiporarethereanyimportantagreementssignedin2018?
Ambassador:Ibelievethatthe45thanniversaryoftheestablishmentofdiplomaticrelationsbetweenSpainandChinaisaremarkablemilestoneinourrelations.Wecelebrateitbyworkingtoimproveuponthesealreadyexcellentbilateralrelations.StateCouncilorandForeignMinisterWangYiwasinMadridbackinMay.Itwasavisitfundamentallycenteredonthe45thanniversaryofforeignrelationsalongwithplanstopreparefuturevisits.WangYiindicatedtheintentiontointensifyourbilateralrelationsbytakingadvantageoftheanniversaryacitivities.Thereareagreementsthatarenowbeingnegotiatedinvariousfields,likethepoliticalone,andtherearealsosomeagreementswitheconomicaspectsthatwillpromotetradeandincreaseenterprises鈥檖resenceinbothcountries.Inaddition,wealsoexplorewaystohavecooperationintheculturalandeducationalfields.Ibelievethatthisisthebestwaytocelebrateandcommemoratethe45thanniversaryofChina-Spanishdiplomaticrelations.
CT:ThisyeartransnationalcompanieslikeElCorteIngl茅sincludedinitspaymentsystemAlipay,andChinesebrandslikeHuaweiandXiaomiparticipatedintheMobileWorldCongressinSpain.DoyoufeelthatthereisagrowinginterestinSpaintotakeadvantageofChinesetechnologicaladvances?InmaGonz謾lez(centerwithamicrophone),directoroftheCervantesInstituteinBeijing,isaccompaniedbyambassadorsanddiplomatsfromseveralSpanish-speakingcountriesduringtheinaugurationof鈥淓-Day.鈥滱mbassador:ThereisagrowinginterestinfosteringtherelationshipwithChinaandastrongintentiontoattractmoreChinesetouriststoSpainandmakingthemfeelwelcomed.Also,thereisefforttoensurethattheycanbeabletofollowtheirdailyroutine,includingpayingviathemeansthatyoumentioned,whicharehighlydevelopedhereinChina.You鈥檝ementionedaverywellknownSpanishcompany,butit鈥檚nottheonlyone,thereareplentyothersadaptingthemselvestofacilitateandenhancetheexperienceofChinesetouristsinSpain.
CT:SpainhasaspecialtouristicappealintheeyesofChinesenationals.AccordingtoestimatesfromtheSpainChinaTourismAssociation,fromjust187,000Chinesetouristsin2012,thenumberroseto718,000in2017.Isitapriorityin2018tokeepmakingeasierthearrivalofChinesetouriststoSpain?
Ambassador:SpainisaveryattractivecountrytotouristsfromChinaandfromothercountriestoo.Weholdtheworld鈥檚secondplaceintouristarrivals.Lastyearwereceived82milliontourists.Chinaistheworld鈥檚biggestsourceofinternationaltourists.ThefiguresofChinesetouristsinSpainhavehadanimpressivegrowthoverthelastfewyears,withanannualgrowthof30percentapproximately.718,000touristsisanim-portantfigure;butifwecompareittoabsolutefigures,weseethatChinesetouristsaccountforlessthanonepercentofthetotalnumberoftouristsinSpain,andofthenumberofChinesetouristswhotravelabroad,lessthan0.5percentgotoSpain.Inanycase,Ibelievethere鈥檚agreatpotentialforgrowthbecausewhatSpainisabletooffertoChinesetourists,likeculture,cuisine,architecture,dances,andmanyotherthings,makesusthinkthatwecanincreasethatfigure.Ibelieveit鈥檚safetosaythatinlittletimeChinesetouriststoSpaincanreachorevensurpassonemillion.Inordertoachievethatweneedtoworkonvariousfieldslikeconnectivity,sothatthereexistsconvenientandfrequentflights,aswellassafelymakingeasierthefulfillmentofallrequirementsthattheEuropeanUnion鈥檚regulationsimposewiththevisa.Wealsoneedtoworkonwhatyoumentionedbefore:waysofpayment,tomaketheChinesetourists鈥檚tayanenjoyableexperiencesothatmoreChinesewanttocomeandtoencouragereturnvisitsforthosethathavealreadyvisited.
CT:WhatadvanceshavebeenachievedwithSpain鈥檚participationintheBeltandRoadInitiative?
Ambassador:FormerPrimeMinisterMarianoRajoyparticipatedinthe2017BeltandRoadForumforInternationalCooperation.Ourcountryhassupportedthiscrucialinitiativebecauseitaimstoimproveconnectivityandopenmarkets,andbringsaboutdevelopmentopportunitiesoveraverylargegeographicalarea.TherehavebeensomeconcretecollaborativeprojectsinthirdcountrieslikeEgyptandtheUnitedArabEmirates,whereChineseandSpanishenterprisescooperateindifferentambitslikeenergy,water,andothers.OnDecember19,2017,theThird-PartyMarketsSeminarcelebratingtheSpain-ChinacooperationwasheldinBeijing,inordertoanalyzejointopportunitieswithcompaniesintheBeltandRoadframework.We鈥檙ealsonegotiatinganinstitutionalagreementforthistohavearegulatoryframeworkthatcanfunnelit.Ibelievethereisbothinterestandopportunity.Ialsowanttoremark,althoughit鈥檚nodirectlinkwithprojectsundertheinitiative,Spain鈥檚participationasafoundingmemberoftheAsianInfrastructureInvestmentBank,whichasatoolisalsogoingtoenhancethedevelopmentofprojectsaspartoftheBeltandRoadInitiative,promotingconnectivitywithinternationallawsandmarketopening.Oneofthemostawaitedmomentsbytheattendeesof鈥淓-Day鈥漣nBeijingisthetastingofpaella,atraditionalSpanishdelicacy.CT:Educationalsector鈥檚linksbetweenthetwonationshaverisenupoverthelastfewyears.InChina,theinterestintheSpanishlanguageisontherise.What鈥檚yourexpectationofnextyear鈥檚educationalexchangesbetweenthetwocountries?
Ambassador:Weoughttorealizeonething:Chineseisevidentlyoneofthemostspokenlanguagesintheworld;andSpanish,whichisnotonlyspokeninSpainbutalsousedinmanyothernations,has577millionspeakers.Therefore,there鈥檚awholeSpanish-speakingworldofferingnewopportunities,andIbelievethattheSpanish-languagelearningcommunityisontheriseinChinaandtheworld.Recently,theChinesegovernmentannouncedthatSpanishisgoingtobeaselectivecourseinChinesesecondaryeducationandthatisalsogoingtobeavailableasaforeignlanguageoptionintheNationalHigherEducationEntranceExaminationorgaokao.Thatopensnewpossibilitiestofurthereducationrelations.MeanwhilethereisaperceptiblyincreasinginterestinlearningChineseinSpain.AlsoofnoteisthatthisyearwecommemorateagreatSpaniard,DiegodePantoja,whovisitedChinainthe16thand17thcenturies,documentedtheChinesewayoflivingbackthenforEuropeandlearnedtheChineselanguage,translatingChineseclassicstoSpanish,andalsowroteworksintraditionalChineseitself.Allthistraditionisundergoingastrongresurgence,andinterestforChinaanditscultureinSpainisontherise.It鈥檚easytofindSpanishyoungstersthatmasterChineseandthat鈥檚aguaranteetokeepbuildingbridgesbetweenbothcountriesinthefuture.
CT:Inyourpointofview,whathascapturedyourattentionthemostsinceyourarrivalinChina?
Ambassador:Thisisacountryyoualwaysknowonlyinpart;IcametoChinabackinthe90鈥檚onafewshortvisits,sometimesforworkassignmentsandothertimesasatourist.WhatIthinkimpressesmethemostaboutthiscountryaretwocomplimentary,yin-yang-likethings:ontheonehand,changeanddynamism;ontheother,thewellestablishedcultureandtradition鈥檚continuedimportance.It鈥檚sofascinatingbecause,althoughtheylookcontradictoryatfirstglance,they鈥檙eactuallycomplementary.Chinaisacountrythatdrawsattentionforitsdynamismmorethanforitssize;dynamisminallambitslikeeconomy,technology,andinfrastructureamongmanyothers.Thenwehaveitswisdom,itsfascinatingculture,whichisalive,andthosethingsthatbindSpanishandChinesetogetherlikethatenthusiasmforlifeweseeinthemusic,cuisine,conceptoffamily,andthedesiretoenjoyfriendship,whichalsogivesmeLatinvibes,veryjoyful.TheexperienceofbeinginChinaisanhonor,apleasure,andadailysurprise.I鈥檓enjoyingeverysecondhere.