Spanish PM says upcoming China visit to further economic ties

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said Monday that his upcoming visit to China on Sept. 24-27 is expected to further bilateral economic ties.

He made the remarks during an interview with Chinese media carried out in his official residence in the Palace of Moncloa.

China, the world's second largest economy "is incredibly dynamic and has grown a lot in recent years," he said. "It is a very important actor in the international scene and it is fundamental for us."

He said economic relations would be vital in his upcoming meetings with Chinese leaders and officials, especially over commercial and investment opportunities.

Rajoy explained that the Spain-China relations are enjoying a magnificent moment, from both political and economic points of view, saying that his visit is intended to intensify the relationship.

Noting that the number of Chinese investors in Spain has increased in the last few years, he said, "I think we can do a lot of things in the economic sphere ... There are both possibilities and potential to continue increasing investment in the future."

He highlighted that Spain will continue to increase investments and exports to China.

Looking into the future, Rajoy saw many opportunities for cooperation.

"At the moment, Spain has a positive balance of payments, and we continue to invest, we have important construction and electrical companies and important consultancy firms ... We are carrying out great infrastructure projects in all of the world," he said.

The Spanish prime minister also mentioned collaboration in the teaching of the Spanish language and in tourism.

"There is a lot of interest in China about the Spanish language ... a language that is not just spoken in Spain, but in a continent," he said, expressing hope that Spain and China will step up cooperation in promoting Spanish language learning.

Rajoy said tourism accounts for around 11 percent of Spain's gross domestic product and Spain is among the world's most-visited tourism destinations.

"We want to see more Chinese visitors and for them to have the chance to come here and to know another country, another culture which I am certain will be interesting to all of them," he said.

"Our idea is to make single destination visas available in 48 hours and for them to last more than three months," he said.