China ready to expand trade and investment cooperation with Spain

China stands ready to expand trade and investment cooperation with Spain, Premier Li Qiang said on Friday, adding that China hopes to carry out cooperation in sectors of new energy and advanced materials with the European country.

China will also deepen the Belt and Road cooperation with Spain, Li told visiting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez during their meeting in Beijing, calling for the two countries to organize well various people-to-people exchange events for the China-Spain Year of Culture and Tourism, which kicked off in late March.

Li and Sanchez witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents following their meeting.

Spain is China's sixth largest trade partner in the European Union, and China is Spain's largest trade partner outside the European Union, according to the Foreign Ministry.

In 2022, bilateral trade reached about $51.5 billion, with a 6.5 percent year-on-year increase.