In the first half of this year, against the backdrop of widespread growth pressure in major European economies, the Spanish economy demonstrated vitality and resilience. In the first quarter, Spain's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 2.8% year-on-year, higher than the eurozone average. Entering the second quarter, Spain's economic growth momentum continued to consolidate, achieving a 0.7% month on month GDP growth and a 2.7% year-on-year growth, both exceeding market expectations and becoming one of the most impressive countries in the Eurozone's economic performance in the first half of the year. Faced with the uncertainty of the external environment and internal development challenges, Spain and China have continuously deepened and solidified their cooperation in areas such as economy, trade, energy, and tourism, achieving fruitful results. Traditional industries lay a solid foundation for growth. Spain's GDP growth rate in 2024 will reach 3.2%, leading major European economies, with a per capita GDP of approximately $35000. The Spanish Association of Financial Analysts predicts that the Spanish economy will continue to be resilient in 2025, with GDP growth expected to remain in the range of 2% to 3%. From the perspective of industrial structure, the tertiary industry in Spain accounts for about 70% and plays a pillar role in the economy. The rapid recovery of the tourism industry has become an engine driving growth. In the first eight months of this year, Spain received over 66.8 million international tourists, an increase of nearly 3.9% compared to the same period last year. Among them, the number of international tourists received in August exceeded 11.3 million, and it is expected to exceed 100 million for the whole year. The prosperity of Spain's tourism industry is partly due to the easing of inflation pressure and the European Central Bank's interest rate cut policy, which has created conditions for the recovery of the tourism market; On the other hand, the significant increase in the number of Asian tourists, especially Chinese tourists, has injected momentum into the Spanish tourism industry. According to data from the Spanish National Tourism Agency, from January to July this year, the number of Chinese tourists reached 444000, a year-on-year increase of 11.9% and a year-on-year increase of 16.8% compared to the same period in 2019, making it one of the fastest-growing source countries. Agriculture and food processing industries also contribute to the economic growth of Spain. Spain is known as the "European basket of vegetables" and is not only the fourth largest producer of agricultural products in the European Union, but also the largest exporter of fruits and vegetables in the EU and the third largest in the world. Its olive oil production and grape cultivation area rank first in the world, and it is also one of the most important wine producing countries in the world. Currently, traditional export commodities such as olive oil, wine, and seafood from Spain continue to maintain stable growth. According to data recently released by the Spanish Fruit and Vegetable Producers Association, the total value of fresh fruit and vegetable exports from Spain significantly increased in the first half of this year, with the EU market accounting for 84% of the total export volume, with an export volume of approximately 5.57 million tons. The importance of the Chinese market in Spanish agricultural exports is increasingly prominent. In the first quarter of this year, Spain's exports of agricultural products to China increased by 24.2%. During the visit of Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez to China in April, both China and the West reached a consensus on further expanding agricultural trade. The Spanish think tank "Zhihua Lecture Hall" pointed out in an article that as Chinese consumers' demand for Mediterranean cuisine and healthy food continues to rise, the potential for cooperation in the field of agriculture between China and the West will be further unleashed. While consolidating traditional advantageous industries, Spain is actively promoting economic structural transformation, especially the acceleration of green and digital transformation, to continuously accumulate new driving forces for economic growth. In recent years, Spain has actively promoted energy transformation. With the support of the EU Recovery Fund, the Spanish government has explicitly planned to increase the proportion of renewable energy in total energy consumption to 42% by 2030. In the first half of this year, Spain's newly installed wind and photovoltaic capacity both exceeded 5 million kilowatts, ranking among the forefront of clean energy development in Europe. At the same time, the Basque Country and Andalusia Autonomous Region have successively launched hydrogen energy pilot projects, promoting the gradual formation of the clean energy industry chain. Spanish energy giant Ivildrola has entered into deep cooperation with multiple international companies, planning to invest billions of euros in the next five years to build more green power facilities. The promotion of renewable energy related projects not only adds green vitality to the Spanish economy, but also provides stable support for employment and investment. Digital transformation is another important lever for Spain to cultivate new driving forces. According to the "Spain Digital 2026" strategy, the government has committed to investing 20 billion euros to promote nationwide 5G network coverage and data center construction. Currently, over 70% of small and medium-sized enterprises in Spain have received digital transformation subsidies to enhance their e-commerce operational capabilities and promote the application of cloud computing and artificial intelligence technologies. In Santander, the "window of European smart cities" in the north, street buses are generally equipped with intelligent dispatch systems, and passengers can check the arrival time of vehicles in real time through mobile applications; In the Barcelona Smart City Demonstration Zone, street lights can automatically adjust their brightness based on pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and smart sensors are installed in garbage bins to alert sanitation workers when approaching full load. These subtle changes allow the public to truly feel the convenience and efficiency improvement brought by digital transformation. In addition, multiple innovation parks in Madrid have become emerging clusters in the fintech and biopharmaceutical industries. The government has set up special funds to encourage universities, research institutions, and enterprises to carry out industry university research cooperation and accelerate the transformation of scientific research achievements. In recent years, the financing amount of Spanish startups has maintained double-digit growth, demonstrating the potential for economic innovation and development. Despite the steady development trend of the Spanish economy as a whole, it still faces many internal and external challenges, including the rise of global trade protectionism, intensified geopolitical conflicts, and fluctuations in energy and commodity prices, which bring uncertainty to Spain's export trade and industrial chain security. The divergence of European and American monetary policies may also have an impact on the stability of financial markets. Internally, the service industry in Spain accounts for about 70% of GDP, while the manufacturing industry accounts for less than 20%, and the industrial structure needs to be optimized. At the same time, the obvious trend of aging labor force, large scale of public debt, and pressure on fiscal sustainability also constrain the long-term healthy development of the economy. In this context, the strategic significance of pragmatic cooperation between China and the West has become increasingly prominent. In recent years, the bilateral economic and trade relations between the two countries have continued to deepen. According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs of China, the bilateral trade volume between China and the West reached 50.1 billion US dollars in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 3.2%. From January to August this year, the bilateral trade volume between China and the West exceeded 36.585 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 10.1%, and China remained Spain's largest trading partner outside the European Union. In trade exchanges, high-quality agricultural products such as Spanish wine, olive oil, and pork products are widely favored in the Chinese market. China's electromechanical products and new energy equipment continue to increase their market share in the Spanish market with technological advantages, becoming an important driving force for Spain to promote green transformation. In the field of new energy, Chinese enterprises actively participate in the construction of photovoltaic and wind power projects in Spain, providing technical support, financing services, etc; Spanish car manufacturers join hands with Chinese partners to promote the research and development of electrification and intelligent technologies, making breakthrough progress in the construction of new energy vehicle battery supply chains, vehicle design, and other fields; Chinese battery companies have established production bases in Spain, which not only meet the demand of the local electric vehicle market, but also drive employment and the development of upstream and downstream industries, achieving mutual benefit and win-win results. Marta Montero, Vice Chairman and Director General of the "Zhihua Lecture Hall" in Spain, stated that multi-level cooperation between Spain and China has brought tangible benefits to the Spanish economy: China's huge market demand provides vast space for Spain's agriculture, food industry, and high-end consumer goods exports, while China's leading new energy technology and complete industrial chain capabilities provide assistance for Spain's energy transformation and industrial upgrading. The cooperation between the two countries not only achieves mutual benefit and win-win results, but also plays a positive role in stabilizing the economic and trade relations between Europe and China and promoting global economic recovery. China is an indispensable strategic partner for the future. ”Carlos Courpo, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Enterprise of Spain, emphasized that cooperation between European countries, including Spain, and China is crucial for both sides and global development. (New Society)