This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Spain. 

At 5 pm on March 9^th (10:00 am Spanish time), the "China-Europe Railway Express" started the train from Yiwu to Madrid to commemorate the China-Spain diplomatic relations. This train is an important part of the series of activities commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Spain. It connects Yiwu, the "World Supermarket", and Madrid, the largest commodity distribution center in Europe. It also bears testimony to the cooperation between China and the countries along the "Belt and Road".

As early as 2,000 years ago, the ancient capital of China, Chang'an was connected with Tarragona, Spain through the ancient Silk Road. 

More than 400 years ago, China and Spain established frequent trade exchanges through the Maritime Silk Road. Now, 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road initiative which has brought China and Spain even closer together, sparking a new era in the China-Spain relationship.

Spain is the sixth largest trading partner with China within the EU, while China is the largest trading partner with Spain outside the EU. The bilateral trade value between the two countries reached 48.414 billion U.S. dollars in 2021.

 By February 2022, Spain had invested $4.14 billion in China, with more than 790 companies operating in China, mainly in the finance, energy sources, telecommunications, and transportation industries.

As a key Chinese city with close exchanges with Europe, Chengdu enjoys active economic and trade cooperation with Spain. By 2022, 41 well-known Spanish companies and institutions, including some of the Global 500 companies, had settled in Sichuan. In 2021, the total import and export volume between Sichuan and Spain increased by 98.4% year-on-year.

During the Ming dynasty, the Spanish missionary Diego de Pantoja introduced Western astronomy and the Western calendar to China. In 1592, Spanish Sinologist Juan Cobo translated a Chinese Confucian work Ming Xin Bao Jian, into Spanish. Spanish writer Cervantes mentioned China many times in his works, and his immortal masterpiece Don Quixote is widely circulated in China.

On March 25, 2022, a new member came into the "family" of foreign consular agencies in Chengdu when the Consulate General of Spain in Chengdu officially opened. This is the third Spanish consular office in the Chinese mainland after Shanghai and Guangzhou.

As the first consul general, Eduardo López Busquets treasures this precious opportunity to come to Chengdu. Mr. López believes that Chengdu is a dynamic city with beautiful parks everywhere, full of rich, fascinating cultural customs, making his life here very comfortable and secure. He hopes that Chengdu and Spain will create more mutually beneficial cooperation.

Like Chinese, Spanish is a very important language in the world. 

Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world after Chinese and is spoken by 570 million people worldwide. In addition to Spain, 20 countries, including Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Mexico claim Spanish as their official language. To open the door of communication with Spanish-speaking countries, Chengdu Plus welcomed a new “family member” to the overseas social media team in April of last year.

Since Chengdu Plus created a Spanish Facebook page, it has reached over 2 million people in Spanish-speaking countries and regions such as Spain, Mexico, and Argentina, opening a door of friendship through which Hispanic countries and regions can understand China and Chengdu.

As Chengdu, a developing city in an open country, continues to make the world stop and take note, countless Spaniards have come to live and start businesses in Chengdu. 

In 2019, Chengdu Plus interviewed a Spanish architect named Auger, who came from Barcelona to Chengdu, where he turned his unique architectural vision into reality.

Since September 2019, Chengdu Plus has recruited more than 60 overseas correspondents worldwide. 

They convey the voice of China and tell the story of Chengdu to the international community. Among them, the overseas correspondents from Spain have sent back wonderful Spanish stories with video footage.

Pandas have long been one of the world's favorite animals. The panda family which was sent to the zoo in Madrid, Spain has always been very popular. Chengdu Plus overseas correspondent Dudu has recorded the life of the panda family, as well as the people in Madrid's love for them. 

Over the past half-century since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Spain, both sides have been promoting cooperation and a deepening friendship in the spirit of mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit, which brings tangible advantages to the people of both countries. With the deepening of economic and trade exchanges and splendid cultural exchanges, China and Spain will continue to write a new chapter of friendly cooperation.

Chengdu Plus will continue to use its cameras to record more stories of friendship and exchange, not only between Chengdu and Spain but the rest of the world as well.