onsdag 15. april 2026

China’s Xi warns against ‘world’s retrogression to the law of the jungle’ in meeting with Spain’s PM

The leaders of China and Spain on Tuesday pledged to work to safeguard multilateralism at a time of conflicts including the war in Iran, with Chinese President Xi Jinping saying the countries should “oppose the world’s retrogression to the law of the jungle.”

Xi said they should “jointly safeguard genuine multilateralism,” strengthen communication and cooperate closely, during a reception for Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the Great Hall of the People. Sánchez agreed and said China and Spain “can contribute to finding solutions to the various trade tensions that exist, to the geopolitical difficulties and complexities of today’s world, to the wars, to the environmental and social challenges that afflict the world.”

Sánchez is on his fourth trip in just over three years to the world’s second-largest economy. Spain is looking to strengthen political and commercial ties. The visit comes as Sánchez faces a strained relationship with the U.S. over his opposition to the war in Iran.