The government is confident of reinforcing the bridges with Washington with the body visit to the Treasury Secretary | Economy

The Government is convinced that reality has left the PP out of their criticisms of Pedro Sánchez’s international policy. The popular reproached Hardly to the president the trip to Beijingwho took him on Friday to a long three -hour meeting with Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader, especially since they thought that would cause US reprisals. However, a few hours later, this Monday, the government He announced another trip, this time to Washington, of the Minister of Economy, Carlos Body, to try to reinforce the bridges with Washington and calm the investors. The minister visits the US Treasury Secretary, Scott Besent, precisely the Trump administration member who criticized Sánchez’s approach to China: « I can say to the rest of the world that … I am not sure if the Prime Minister (Sánchez) or the Minister of Economy of Spain (Carlos Body) made some comments this morning (in the sense that) all, we should align more with China. That would be to cut his own throat. » Therefore, the body trip would demonstrate, according to the government, that things are not so bad between Madrid and Washington as the PP thinks.

It is evident that they are not friendly administrations, Trump and Sánchez are kilometers away, and a meeting between the two presidents is not predictable, contrary to what happens with the ultra -rightist Giorgia Meloni, who will go this week to Washington to see Trump. But this trip, government sources insist, shows that the US respects Spain and the channels remain open to negotiate on all kinds of issues, although tariffs correspond exclusively to the European Union.

Body travels to Washington, they explain in the Government, in a coordinated manner with the European Commission, just as Sánchez did to Beijing. This also deactivates another criticism made by the PP, that Spain was free to China and this had generated discomfort in Brussels.

Nothing is further from reality, sources from the Executive maintain, as demonstrated by the fact that Sánchez spoke before the trip with Úrsula von der Leyen, president of the commission, and she herself has confirmed that she will be in Beijing in July for a Bilateral Summit China-EU. « The position of Spain is the same as the European Commission, » Sanchez insisted throughout the trip. Already in the days of the visit, which also included a trip to Vietnam, another country very affected by Donald Trump’s tariff war, the Spanish delegation, and especially the Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, remarked that it is not at all incompatible to be in China and not break the bridges with Washington.

From the first moment, the Spanish delegation, also the Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas, minimized Besent’s attack. They said that it was an improvised phrase at a political dinner, not a statement or an official position of the United States. Trump has not said a word about Spain. When they pointed out these things and avoided responding to the PP, government members already knew that body would go to Washington on Tuesday, because the trip was closed before going to China. In addition, Marco Rubio, Secretary of State for Donald Trump, spoke with Albares before he left for Beijing and did not transfer any discomfort.

From the point of view of the government, everything was clear and the visit to China had all the way. In fact, they lived it as a great diplomatic success, because it has taken a leap in the relationship between the two countries after three trips in three years that XI thanked and announced that some of the Millionaire Chinese investments that are above the table will advance in the coming months.

However, the PP insists on maintaining their criticism and the body trip has not made them, at least for the moment, to change their strategy of rejection of the trip to China. The PP argues that the Government would have to « have postponed » the visit and point out that the trip is due to the « personal interests » of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, after the former socialist president went to the Boao forum, the Chinese Davos, a few days Before Sánchez saw Xi Jinping. « The personal interests of Rodríguez Zapatero are prevailing. Explanations should be given about what has been discussed and especially what are the interests of Rodríguez Zapatero on this external agenda that the Government of Spain is developing and that can have negative consequences for our economy, » said the general secretary of the PP, Cuca Gamarra on Sunday.

This Monday, Feijóo maintained criticism. The PP leader believes that the trip to China was an « recklessness » and added that his party expects the Trump administration not to consider it a « provocation », something that, in his opinion, is a « risk » that exists and that is « real. » Feijóo spoke before he knew the body trip. « We do not know what the president has gone to China, he has not given any information about it, we do not know what agenda he has gone and what agreements, if there is any agreement that has been brought from China, » Feijóo complained, despite the fact that at the press conference in Beijing the president did explain a half dozen agreements that were signed there, among them some about the swine meat, so that Spain can export it to China, so that Spain cosmetics or pharmaceutical products.

« We also hope not to be right, let’s hope that the American administration does not consider this trip as a provocation, » he warned. The body trip, unless the political result is disastrous and there is a confrontation with Besent, would be talking contrary to those reprisals. Feijóo, on the contrary, does support the negotiating position of the European Commission against Trump’s tariffs, which Sánchez insists that he is the same as he has. The PP leader also did not clarify what the PP will vote in the validation of the decree with the anti -bar shield in Congress, and limited himself to criticizing that the government « has discarded » its proposals. This Tuesday in the Council of Ministers it is expected that some developments of that anti -tariff shield will be approved, but for the government it is essential that the PP vote that decree, so they will continue to have conversations with the popular ones on the return of Washington to get their vote.