Spain, China stand together against US tariff threats

MADRID – The foreign ministers of Spain and China say they want free trade and will fight protectionism amid disputes with the United States over possible tariffs.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday during a visit to Madrid that Beijing seeks to “maintain multilateralism and free trade against unilateralism and protectionism.”

The Trump administration has threatened to impose tariffs on some Chinese imports.

Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis acknowledged the European Union’s trade relations with the U.S. are “under a certain amount of strain” due to Washington’s threat to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Wang was also due to meet King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Thursday, as part of preparations for a possible trip to Spain by Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year.