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By Yin Lei

Spanish companies are ready to enter China's markets and Chinese companies are welcome to invest in Spain, said a Spanish diplomat at the recently concluded 10th China Overseas Investment Fair in Beijing.

In an interview with China Fortune Media, Sergio Pérez Saiz, head economic and commercial counsellor of the Embassy of Spain in Beijing, went into details on trade and economic cooperation between China and Spain.

Industrial products make up the bulk of the two countries' cooperation in trade, he said. Out of Spain's exports to China, two-thirds are industrial products, including car parts, mechanical and electrical equipment, and semi-manufactured products such as copper. Agricultural products also play important roles, e.g. Spain is the biggest provider of pork for China. 

On the investment side, many Spanish manufacturers of car parts and electro-mechanical products see successful operations in China.

He said as China further opens up, Spanish companies will continue to display great interest in China's markets.

"We have now in China around 600 companies operating and we would like to have many more here in this important market," he said, listing financial services, banking, insurance, construction, engineering, and consulting as the fields most attractive to Spanish companies.

He also highlighted Spain's openness to Chinese investors, reading out a long list of Chinese companies that already have presence in his country, such as the telecommunications technology behemoth Huawei, the E-commerce giant Alibaba, and a number of top Chinese banks.

Spain, ranked as the second most open country among its European peers, has very good investment climate and opportunities, he said. 

In terms of infrastructure, Spain has the second largest high-speed railway network in the world, an extensive network of seaports, airports, and urban transport, and 80 technology parks across the country. Of the world's top 25 MBA programs, three are offered by Spanish business schools.