Could Spain’s ‘compliment sandwich’ approach to China work for the EU?

AdvertisementChina-EU relationsChinaDiplomacyCould Spain’s ‘compliment sandwich’ approach to China work for the EU?

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s recent visit to Beijing illustrates ‘delicate equilibrium’, analyst says as others voice scepticism

4-MIN READ4-MIN2 Listen

Nayan SethPublished: 5:00pm, 10 May 2026Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s diplomatic balancing act during his visit to China last month marked a sharp contrast with a European Union grappling with geopolitical upheaval and economic stagnation.

Sanchez pushed for closer ties with Beijing while raising concerns over a persistent bilateral trade deficit and the Ukraine war, an approach that analysts said could serve as a diplomatic template for Brussels amid its fraying relationship with Washington.

According to Wang Hanyi, a research fellow at the Shanghai International Studies University, the Spanish leader “achieved a delicate equilibrium between high-level strategic rhetoric and pragmatic cooperation”.

Advertisement

“The equilibrium provides a viable blueprint for European countries navigating their ties with China,” Wang said.

However, some analysts have voiced scepticism, arguing that Spain’s “compliment sandwich” approach of pairing praise with pointed criticism was a tried-and-tested failed model that would do little to change Beijing’s behaviour on important issues.

Trump calls Chinese leader Xi a ‘tremendous guy’

Trump calls Chinese leader Xi a ‘tremendous guy’Sanchez arrived in China in April following weeks of tense exchanges with Washington over the US-Israel war on Iran.AdvertisementAdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x