Opinion

Xi Jinping bows to President Sánchez's enormous international influence

There are three leaders in the world who shine brighter than the sun: the beloved leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un; the maximum leader of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro; and the immeasurable president of the PSOE-Unidas Podemos coalition government, Pedro Sánchez. 

China's president, Xi Jinping, also seems to understand this, and after making strenuous and varied efforts through diplomatic channels, pestering mutual friends - Pablo Iglesias and Isabel Díaz Ayuso, among them - and sending the Moncloa Palace several batches of three-delicious rice, spring rolls and Peking-style lacquered duck, he has managed to get Pedro Sánchez to make room for him in his busy schedule. 

What is the reason for the unusual interest of the emperor of Tiananmen Square in being received to exchange impressions face to face with President Sánchez? It is obvious. All the leaders of nations are aware of the great influence and extremely high global prestige of the Spanish Prime Minister. Without intending to, given his well-known humility, he becomes the centre of attention at any summit or international forum he attends, his words are an obligatory reference and have a direct impact on the major events that take place on a global scale.

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This is recognised within the Atlantic Alliance and the European Union, where the President of the European Commission, the German Ursula von der Leyen, the Secretary General of NATO, the Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, and even the President of the United States, Joe Biden, do not take a step or take a crucial measure without first obtaining the approval of Pedro Sánchez. 

With the Spanish president already on Chinese soil, the imminent meeting between Xi Jinping and Pedro Sanchez will be the first at the highest level after a three-day visit to Moscow by the leader of the Asian superpower, where he has held several meetings with Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin leadership.

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Killing three birds with one stone

It is therefore not surprising that Pedro Sánchez, in his capacity as NATO's alma mater, should have called the Chinese man on his tap-proof and interference-proof mobile phone to put him on the spot and ask him to explain what had been discussed and agreed in the halls of the Kremlin, and I want to see you in Madrid at once! he seems to have demanded.

But marvellously, President Sánchez has come to his senses and has made a gesture of courtesy that does him credit towards the Asian continent's top democrat. Aware of the exhausted state in which the trip to Moscow has left Xi Jinping, Sánchez has let him know that, instead of holding the meeting in Madrid, he considers it more appropriate to hold it in Beijing. A fine example of political acumen.

The change of criterion, which is somewhat unusual for Sánchez, who, as is well known, keeps his word against all odds, has had a lot to do with the change of criteria, the head of the Presidency portfolio, Félix Bolaños. The man who acts as the permanent duty minister seems to have whispered in his ear: "Pedro, if you're the one going to China, you'll kill three birds with one stone".

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Flying to Beijing," Bolaños told him, "you take the opportunity to make an official trip in the Airbus plane you like so much, you can be seen at the Boao Economic Forum, which you know is the Asian Davos and, once in Beijing, you can take a few photos on the Great Wall, shaking hands with a group of our retired members that I have already sent on an excursion". 

Back to the matter in hand. As Sánchez speaks Mandarin Chinese "like a native speaker", that is, with the same agility as he writes "from cover to cover" a doctoral thesis on economic diplomacy, he is going to make a brief recommendation to Xi Jinping on the condition that "you either take it or leave it, that's all", I am told from Moncloa.

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In his jacket pocket

In relation to China's possible economic, financial and military aid to Russia, about which Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin spoke a few days ago, Pedro Sánchez's first warning to Xi Jinping is that "what cannot be, cannot be and, moreover, is impossible". A member of the team of advisers accompanying the president tells me that such a harsh message will disarm the Chinese leader and leave him knocked out for a few seconds. 

It will be then, I am told, that Sánchez will take advantage of those seconds of psychological weakness to extract from one of his jacket pockets the hitherto secret "Sánchez Plan for lasting peace in and around Ukraine", the Plansanpazu, which can be summed up as "Ukraine is Ukraine and Russia is Russia, and that's all there is to it. Full stop". Overwhelmed by the firmness of the bet, Xi Jinping will be forced to drag Vladimir Putin to call for a ceasefire and sign an end to hostilities with Ukraine's Zelenski, and that's it! 

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If Sánchez succeeds, which his advisors consider "absolutely certain", he will pass the agreement to the French Macron, the German Scholz, the American Biden, the Norwegian Stoltenberg and the German Von der Leyen What do you think! I deserve the Nobel Peace Prize or not! You are already taking too long to promote my candidacy! 

But we must not forget that this great triumph, which, if it happens, could make President Sánchez the great maker of the new international order, is due to the recommendation of the super-minister Félix Bolaños. He and only he is the one who has convinced the so-called Superman from the Madrid neighbourhood of Tetuán to go to China and not the other way round, as initially planned.

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The solid argument put forward by Bolaños, who emulates Henry Kissinger in his best years as President Nixon's Secretary of State, is a compendium of the art of high politics that can be summed up as follows: "Volando voy, volando vengo, por el cami-ino yo me entretengo" Rotundo!