OVIEDO, Spain

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Thursday that the EU is working to expand its open trade policy by seeking new partners.

Speaking during an official visit to Vietnam, Sanchez emphasized the bloc’s trade agreements with South American nations and Mexico, as well as ongoing negotiations with India and other Asian countries.

“This is Europe’s roadmap. And now, we’re not only going to stick with it — we’re going to expand it with more openness, more cooperation, new partners and a firm commitment to multilateralism,” he said at the first-ever Vietnam-Spain business summit.

Sanchez also welcomed US President Donald Trump’s decision to pause some tariffs, measures which he described as “unjustified and unfair.” He also called the original 46% tariffs on Vietnamese goods “chilling.”

“This pause is a door to negotiation and agreement between nations,” Sanchez said.

His comments came ahead of a visit to China, where he will become the first EU leader to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping since Trump’s latest round of tariff measures.

The visit has drawn criticism from Washington. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Spain’s push for closer EU-China ties would be akin to “cutting your own throat.”

“Trade isn’t a zero-sum game," Sanchez said Thursday. "If one side wins, the other can win too. That’s how we see it. All we need are fair rules — and we already have them, through the World Trade Organization and numerous trade agreements."

On Wednesday, Trump decided to pause his “reciprocal” tariffs on most countries, excluding China.

This will be Sanchez’s third visit to China in three years.