Teachers and students at Tsinghua University were greeted with an unexpected moment on Monday as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez opened his speech not in Spanish or English, but in Chinese: "Dajia hao (Hello, everyone)", The simple phrase instantly lit up the room, triggering a wave of enthusiastic applause from the crowd.

Sanchez addressed the university as he embarked on the third day of his five-day China visit from April 11 to 15. His schedule for the day also included stops at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Beijing Xiaomi Science and Technology Park.

In his speech at Tsinghua, according to AFP, Sanchez called China's trade imbalance with the EU "unsustainable." "We need China... to open up so that Europe does not have to close itself off," he said. But the Spanish prime minister placed greater emphasis on the need for mutual understanding and cooperation between the two sides.

According to a video posted on the official X account of Moncloa Palace, the Spanish Prime Minister's Office, Sanchez said in the speech that "It (EU) has the second most productive economy on the planet and the first in terms of life satisfaction, social cohesion, and well-being. With this, I don't want to boast about anything, nor hide many of our shortcomings that we have."

"With this, what I want to say is that Europe is a key player in the stability, prosperity, and peace of the world. And without a united Europe—and thus a fragmented one—there cannot and will not be a stable international order or a prosperous future for humanity. And neither can it happen without the participation of this great country, China. That's why we are called to understand each other and to cooperate," Sanchez told the audience, per the video.

Sanchez's remarks reflect his view that China-EU relations are mutually beneficial and win-win for the two major economies, and that closer cooperation and exchanges between them will boost economic development on both sides, Jian Junbo, director of the Center for China-Europe Relations at Fudan University's Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Monday.

The trade deficit concerns raised by Sanchez in his speech are by no means a new issue in China-EU relations. During French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to China in December 2025, he also touched upon the EU-China trade imbalance.

Dong Yifan, an associate researcher at the Institute of Country and Regional Studies at Beijing Language and Culture University, told the Global Times on Monday that the trade deficit has long been a source of concern for Europe, and the key to solving the issue lies in identifying shared interests between the two sides and resolving them through deeper cooperation.

Echoing his words, Jian noted that the trade issue between China and Europe is an objective reality, and what matters is that the two sides work together to identify its causes, properly address it through communication, and jointly find a solution.

After wrapping up his speech at Tsinghua University, Sanchez visited the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, where he was awarded the title of Honorary Professor, according to China News Service. During his visit to Beijing Xiaomi Science and Technology Park, Sanchez met with Lei Jun, founder and chairman of Xiaomi, learned in detail about Xiaomi's new products in areas such as automobiles, smartphones and smart home devices, and experienced models including the Xiaomi YU7 on site, as reported by the Xinhua News Agency.

Sanchez's fourth visits to China within four years have drawn wide media attention, with some foreign media outlets commenting on how Spain views China on the international stage, as well as its own role in promoting China-EU relations.

Spanish media outlet El País on Monday provided detailed coverage of Pedro Sánchez's itinerary in China, including his visits to Tsinghua University and Xiaomi. The report noted that this morning in Beijing, Pedro Sanchez used this opportunity to deliver a speech at the prestigious Tsinghua University in defense of multilateralism.

In a report on Monday, Reuters noted that Spain "has been one of Europe's loudest proponents of expanding trade and treating China as a strategic ally rather than an economic and geopolitical rival." AFP said in a Monday article that Sanchez started his China visit "as he seeks to position Spain as a bridge between Beijing and the 27-member European Union."

The Spanish prime minister also placed strong emphasis on promoting the visit through social media, sharing snapshots of his China trip on X. As of press time, Pedro Sánchez had posted three updates on Monday: two video clips capturing moments from his speech at Tsinghua University, and a selfie taken with Xiaomi founder Lei Jun during his visit to the company, offering a more personal glimpse into the trip.

Spain has engaged in practical cooperation with China in a wide range of fields, offering useful experience for China and the EU to pursue mutual benefit. As an EU member state, Spain maintains a rational perception of China and sound strategic communication with Beijing, which has played a positive and pragmatic role in advancing China-EU relations as a whole, Dong said.