The West must “relinquish its participation quotas” at international institutions in favor of the countries of the “Global South,” Spain’s socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez demanded Monday from Beijing.
Sánchez is presently conducting a four-day visit to China that will see him hold meetings with dictator Xi Jinping and other members of the Chinese communist regime as part of his agenda. The trip is Sánchez’s fourth visit to China over the past four years.
The Spanish Prime Minister kicked off his Monday agenda in Beijing delivering a morning address at the Tsinghua University in the Chinese capital — where, according to the newspaper ABC, he described Spain as a country “that recognizes that China is rebuilding its greatness” and, therefore, “is destined to play a vital role in the future,” assertions that the University’s Vice President Yang Bing reportedly responded by praising Sánchez for “always prioritizing the development of Spain’s relations with China.”
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (L) arrives to the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing on April 13, 2026. Sanchez called China’s trade imbalance with the European Union “unsustainable” on April 13, as he began a three-day visit to Beijing where he hopes to strengthen economic ties. (ANDRES MARTINEZ CASARES / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
Throughout his speech, ABC detailed, Pedro Sánchez argued multilateralism “is not only not dead,” but is “more necessary than ever.”
Furthermore, he urged “the West relinquish part of its representation quotas in favor of global stability and the trust of the countries of the Global South.”
“That is why, from Spain, we are calling for a profound renewal of the multilateral architecture. It must be made more efficient, more transparent, more accountable, and also more inclusive and pluralistic,” he reportedly argued. “Because if multilateralism is to remain useful, it must change and better reflect the balance of power and the sensitivities of today’s world.”
“This new multilateral order must work, and it must do so through trade relations that are balanced and reciprocal,” he continued. We cannot move from the imbalances of the 20th century to yet another set of imbalances in the 21st century.”
Spanish public broadcaster RTVE reports that the socialist Prime Minister urged China to “contribute more to a stable multilateral system,” calling for compliance with international law and an end to conflicts such as those in Iran, Ukraine, Lebanon, and Gaza.
“China has done a lot, and we applaud that, but it can do more,” Sánchez claimed.
“Europe may seem small on a map. But it carries significant weight, and its unity is a guarantee of stability and prosperity in the world. A world that cannot be understood without China,” Sánchez wrote on social media.
Pedro Sánchez will continue his Monday agenda with a tour of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, where he is slated to receive an honorary degree, before visiting a tech company Xiaomi campus to meet with its founder, Lei Jun.
On Tuesday, Xi Jinping is expected to host a banquet in honor of Sánchez and his wife, with the Chinese dictator offering a banquet in Sánchez’s name Begoña Gómez, who is joined the Spanish Prime Minister’s trip to China after receiving a “special invitation” from Chinese officials.
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