HEFEI: Spanish Ambassador to China Eugenio Bregolat said his country, as one of China’s best friends in Europe, is ready to deepen relations with China in the future, especially in bilateral trade.

China’s selfless assistance to Spain, including buying Spanish State bonds and increasing shares in Spanish banks during the latter’s difficult times, has been highly appreciated back home, Bregolat said in an opening speech at the Seminar on Strengthening Multi-sphere Sino- Spanish Cooperation on July 21.

The two-day seminar was jointly sponsored by the State Council Counselors’ Office, Anhui provincial government, Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade and Madrid-based Fundacion Alternatives, drawing more than 80 participants.

Bregolat noted the Spanish external investment -- with a large share in the European Union and Latin America -- is currently still insufficient in China and the country should enhance its input into China to join the 600,000-odd foreign-invested companies on the Chinese mainland to seek better business chances.

According to Carlos Pascual Pons, from the Spanish Consulate General in Shanghai, Spain’s exports to China stood at $6.23 billion in 2010, a rise of 45.2 percent from the same period a year earlier, while imports from China reached $18.17 billion in 2010, a climb of 29.2 percent.

Bregolat, who is now on his third-term as Spanish ambassador to China, said while Spain’s export to China is still a small figure, it has a lot of room to expand.

The Spanish ambassador reiterated that Spain is happy to see China’s quick advancement in the economic and political spheres, now as the No. 2 economic power in the world.

During the seminar, Fundacion Alternatives President Pere Portabella stressed while the Chinese are contributing much to local residents in Spain, Spain’s investment in China is also expanding. He added the two countries are witnessing better bilateral ties since diplomatic relations began in March 1973.

Now as an economic leader in the world, China is being considered a “genuine friend” to Spain with its timely help to the country amid the latter’s difficult times, he said.

As China is quickening its pace of development, he would like to see more cooperation between China’s regions and Spain’s localities in the future.

Shao Guohe, assistant governor of Anhui, said in his opening speech that he was sure meeting will be quite fruitful with seminars centering themes of new energy, Sino-Spanish trade and bilateral financial cooperation.