The Forum on China-EU calls for a common front to the new protectionism

Xi Jinping, the chinese president, will visit for the first time in Spain in six days, but to say of the speeches heard at the China-Europe Forum on Reform and Globalization which was held this Thursday in Madrid, the president is already present in the city. Usual places of his thought (“China will never threaten any country”, among them) have been repeated like mantras from the mouths of prominent members of the media, the university and the policy of China that have participated in the meeting.

The forum, organized by the China daily newspaper with the cooperation of THE COUNTRY, has counted with the presence of the ex-president of the Government José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero; the president of PRISA (publisher of THE COUNTRY), Manuel Polanco; the president of NATO, Javier Solana; the ambassador of China in Spain, Lyv Fan; and the director of China Daily, Zhou Shuchun.

Next to the words there has been no end figures, also champion: among them, the quota that holds the giant in the international market, a resounding 30%, or the output of 130 million chinese tourists a year, 700,000 of which with destination to Spain, a number that grows from year to year. Above words and numbers, about the meeting has pendido the concern that the globalized world is fragmented. On the european side, with the wound of the Brexit; the chinese, by the trade war with the US. Despite the huge differences in culture and size, it seems that in that aspect Spain and China are in agreement.

Spain can find business opportunities in China in financing of small and medium-sized enterprises, biotechnology, education, care for the elderly, sports, and leisure

The neoproteccionismo is, in effect, one of the greatest threats on globalisation, match all. Despite the tone diplomatic speeches and words of good will to distill a particular idea: for the chinese and to the europeans, globalization is not only a source of economic growth, but also of political stability worldwide.

The argumentario of Beijing includes references discrete the danger that it represents for China the steps of Donald Trump. Picks up the glove, as there there there are also matching with Europe, Javier Solana: “we Wanted a global world and multi-polar, and we have, but we also wanted a multilateral world, and that has not happened”. Without mentioning specific cases, Solana denounced how there are countries interested in halting multilateralism. “We're heading to a world that is the sum of bilateral relations”, have been criticized. The economy, but also political relations, are thus involved. “The EU can not agree with Cratosslot that, because the Union is an example of multilateralism,” said Solana.

expand photo José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, and Javier Solana. Kike

The former president, Rodriguez Zapatero, has also spoken of the need to slow that decomposition of the institutional structure of the world. "How many more presidents Trump has in the united States and more nationalism in Europe, before you reach China to global leadership", has sentenced the blunt. The strengthening of the United Nations and the institutionalization of the G20 is made necessary, he insisted the exmandatario, to beat the new protectionist policy. "China and the EU colluding to achieve that. I have always advocated the policy of 'one China' as I have advocated for an EU together."

Changes in the growth pattern of China

did Not hide the persons involved in chinese brake the growth of the country, but respond that the rates are still very high and that will continue to be "sufficient" to sustain the country's progress. It is insisted, that this new phase ("maturity", they say, and there goes another mantra) is derived from a stake in the country to contain the bubble in the real estate sector, to improve the quality of their products, ensure the production of goods that respect the environment and the protection of intellectual property. Are you aware that sambenitos that in the past China has grown exacerbadamente competing goods of worse quality, without the shackles of environmental of the west or imitating foreign products.

made to break stereotypical images, the chinese are now presented not only as a giant exporter, the first in the world, with a value of 2.27 trillion in 2016), but also as a massive importer of goods and services foreign (the second world, for an amount of 1,23 billion dollars). The country has marked this desire with the first International Exhibition of Import held days ago in Shanghai.

Javier Solana: “we Wanted a global world and multi-polar, and we have, but we also wanted a multilateral world, and that has not happened”

That desire to boost imports responds, pointing to Ye Xiaowen, the Committee for Learning and Cultural Data and history of the Chinese Communist Party, which speaks with humor that today's chinese "they want to live well, and we also have flirty", hence they are open to the products, with a reputation for sophisticated, which produces the west. There, according to several speakers, there is an opportunity for Spain, which in addition to exporting goods, can provide, and it is understood that it would be well received, your knowledge in food technology and intensive agriculture.

Other fields in which Spain can find business opportunities are the financing of small and medium-sized enterprise (one of the ballasts on the growth in China), biotechnology, education, care for the elderly, leisure and sport. Spanish entrepreneurs have to face, " says Lui Shijin, of the Foundation of Research in Development of China, the opportunity to benefit from a market of middle-class consumers, which is already nearly the height of the american.