An Analysis of the Motivations for the Spanish Prime Minister’s Three Visits to China in Three Years: Based on Neo-Liberal Institutionalism Theory

Abstract

Against the backdrop of U.S.-EU technological trade restrictions on China and Spain’s tension between “strategic autonomy” (“strategic autonomy” defined here as the capacity of a country to act independently of external powers, particularly the United States, in strategic sectors) and “Transatlantic alignment” (“Transatlantic alignment” defined here as the synchronization of a state’s geopolitical, security, and technological policies with the strategic priorities and restrictive measures of the United States) Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez’s three China visits in three years emerge as a typical case of high-frequency China-Southern Europe interactions. Exploring its core motivations and the explanatory logic of neo-liberal institutionalism is significant. This study uses literature, historical, and qualitative analyses to examine China-Spain cooperation and its theoretical alignment. Results show that China and Spain exhibit strong interdependence in trade and new energy. Sensitivity lies in their complementary linkages (bilateral trade over 50 billion EUR), while vulnerability stems from high decoupling costs. Cooperation mechanisms (since 1992) and agreements from the three visits underpin institutional foundations by cutting transaction costs and standardizing collaboration. Thus, Sánchez’s high-frequency visits (“high-frequency visits” defined here as three or more state or official visits by a head or high-level representative of government to a single target country within a single electoral cycle) to China reflect a rational choice co-driven by interdependence and institutional cooperation.