Spain's Royals Begin State Visit to China

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain arrived in China on Tuesday for their first state visit to the country since ascending to the throne in 2014, marking the first such trip by European monarchs in seven years. The three-day itinerary includes stops in Chengdu and Beijing, where the royal couple engaged in cultural exchanges, diplomatic meetings, and discussions aimed at deepening bilateral ties.

The visit began in Chengdu with a cultural event at Wangjianglou Park's memorial to the Chinese poet Xue Tao, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Spanish poet Antonio Machado. During the ceremony, attendees heard readings of Machado's 1912 poem "To a Dry Elm," composed in Soria, Spain, alongside two works by Xue Tao: "The Festival of the Nines" and "Peonies," recited in both Chinese and Spanish. Queen Letizia met afterward with local poets, writers, and artists, including Zhao Zhenjiang, who translated Machado's poem into Chinese in 2007. The Spanish Royal Palace highlighted the event as an opportunity to explore the historical role of women in Chinese literature and the challenges they faced in the profession.

The royals later attended a luncheon hosted by local...