On the 9th local time, the Ministry of Commerce of China and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise of Spain jointly hosted the "China Spain Trade and Investment Matchmaking Conference" in Madrid, and the two sides reached a procurement contract and investment and strategic cooperation agreement with a total amount of about 300 million US dollars. Ling Ji, Deputy Minister of Commerce and Deputy Representative for International Trade Negotiations, led 60 Chinese companies to attend the matchmaking meeting. More than 300 representatives from Chinese and Western enterprises and business associations in the fields of agricultural and food products, new energy vehicles, power batteries, machinery manufacturing, cross-border e-commerce, finance, and tourism participated in this event. On October 9th, guests exchanged ideas at the "China Spain Trade and Investment Matchmaking Conference" held in Madrid, Spain. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Gustavo Balente) Ling Ji stated that in the 20 years since the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the West, the two sides have continuously expanded their cooperation areas, innovated cooperation methods, and deeply explored cooperation potential, establishing a dynamic and resilient supply chain cooperation relationship. In 2024, the bilateral trade volume of goods between China and the West will exceed 50 billion US dollars, and the two-way investment will exceed 11 billion US dollars. I hope to strengthen the procurement of Spanish agricultural and food products through this trade and investment matchmaking meeting, and increase innovation in trade formats and two-way investment. In his welcoming speech, Spanish Secretary of State for Trade, Amparo Lopez Senovilla, said that the economic and trade relations between China and the West are flourishing, with over 400 Spanish companies setting up branches in China, covering fields such as automobiles, financial services, advanced industrial technology, agricultural products, and cosmetics. Meanwhile, Spain has also become a popular investment destination for Chinese enterprises in areas such as energy transition, sustainable transportation, and renewable energy. She looks forward to the investment docking meeting becoming a stable platform for exchanges between enterprises from both countries, to consolidate long-term cooperation projects, and to help Spanish enterprises achieve export diversification and enhance export added value. Elisa Cavonelli, Executive Director of the Spanish Foreign Trade and Investment Agency, expressed her hope that the docking will become the beginning of more cooperation in the future, helping to strengthen the trust bond between the two sides and establish a new mutually beneficial partnership. (New Society)