STORY: Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Spain's King Felipe VI at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday (November 12) for his first state visit to China and the first by a Spanish monarch in 18 years, as Madrid pursues the most active courtship of Beijing within the European Union (EU).

During their meeting, Xi said China is willing to work with Spain to build a comprehensive strategic partnership that is more steady. Spanish King Felipe VI in reply, said a relationship of trust has been forged with a solid relationship of bilateral relations based on mutual trust.

Xi and Felipe VI chaired a signing ceremony of deals between the two countries that included a joint declaration of intent to strengthen Chinese and Spanish language teaching, a memorandum of understanding of the Economic Cooperation Joint Committee, protocols on the export of aquatic products and aquatic animal protein to China, as well as the regionalisation agreement on regional animal disease zones, and a memorandum of understanding on food safety cooperation.

Felipe VI, later in the day, is due to meet Premier Li Qiang and top legislator Zhao Leji, while on Thursday (November 13) he will attend a meeting with Spanish and Chinese business leaders and visit Spanish car part maker Gestamp's factory outside Beijing.

The king's visit follows three trips by Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in as many years in a strategy by Madrid to rebalance trade relations skewed in favour of Beijing.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: CHINESE PRESIDENT, XI JINPING, WELCOMING KING FELIPE VI OF SPAIN TO THE GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE / WELCOMING CEREMONY WITH MILITARY BAND / XI AND FELIPE VI HOLDING TALKS / XI AND FELIPE VI AT SIGNING CEREMONY

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: BEIJING, CHINA (NOVEMBER 12, 2025) (AGENCY POOL - Access all)

1. CHINESE NATIONAL FLAG FLYING AT FULL MAST OUTSIDE GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE

2. SPANISH NATIONAL FLAG FLYING

3. SPAIN'S KING FELIPE VI AND QUEEN LETIZIA EXITING CAR OUTSIDE HALL TO GREET CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING AND HIS WIFE PENG LIYUAN

4. MILITARY SOLDIERS LINING UP BEFORE OFFICIAL WELCOMING CEREMONY STARTS

5. XI AND FELIPE VI APPROACHING AND STANDING ON PLATFORM

6. VARIOUS OF XI AND FELIPE VI ON PLATFORM WITH MILITARY BAND PLAYING

7. XI AND FELIPE VI STEPPING DOWN FROM PLATFORM AND WALKING

8. VARIOUS OF XI AND FELIPE VI INSPECTING GUARD OF HONOUR

9. XI AND FELIPE VI INSPECTING GUARD OF HONOUR / XI AND FELIPE VI WALKING PAST CHEERING CHILDREN

10. XI AND FELIPE VI SEATED DURING TALKS FLANKED BY OFFICIALS

11. CHINESE AND SPANISH FLAGS ON DISPLAY

12. VARIOUS OF XI SPEAKING DURING MEETING

13. VARIOUS OF FELIPE VI SPEAKING

14. CHINESE AND SPANISH FLAGS IN SIGNING CEREMONY ROOM

15. XI AND FELIPE VI SEATED

16. FELIPE VI SEATED

17. XI SEATED

18. SPANISH AND CHINESE OFFICIAL SIGNING DECLARATION OF INTENT TO STRENGTHEN CHINESE AND SPANISH LANGUAGE TEACHING

19. CHINESE COMMERCE MINISTER WANG WENTAO SIGNING MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE ECONOMIC COOPERATION JOINT COMMITTEE WITH SPANISH MINISTER OF ECONOMY, TRADE AND BUSINESS, CARLOS CUERPO

20. FELIPE VI SEATED

21. CHINESE AND SPANISH OFFICIALS SIGNING PROTOCOLS ON EXPORT OF AQUATIC PRODUCTS AND AQUATIC ANIMAL PROTEIN TO CHINA, AND REGIONALISATION AGREEMENT ON REGIONAL ANIMAL DISEASE ZONES

22. XI CLAPPING

23. CHINESE AND SPANISH OFFICIALS SIGNING MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON FOOD SAFETY COOPERATION

24. XI AND FELIPE VI STANDING UP TO SHAKE HANDS AS SIGNING CEREMONY ENDS