Embassy of Spain in Beijing
The embassy of Spain in Beijing is located at Chancery: No. 9, San Li Tun Lun and provides the functions that you would expect an embassy to provide. At the top is the ambassador who represents the Spanish government in any official discussions with the government of China. Most of the work at the embassy is actually done at a lower level, primarily providing services to Spaniards who are visiting China. The embassy looks out for the interests of it's countries citizens, at least as far as can remembering that the embassy can't interfere with the laws of China. The services provided are mostly advisory, offering advise on what to do and how to deal with issues that come up. The embassy can also replace lost documents like passports. The Spanish embassy also helps Chinese citizens who wish to visit Spain or do business in the country. In fact one of the jobs of the embassy is to promote Spain in China and encourage this type of activity.
Spain is a fairly large country on the west coast of Europe, and until recently it was one of the most backward countries on the continent. For many years Spain lagged behind other European countries both economically and socially, it was one of the last countries in Western Europe to be ruled by a dictator. During this period Spain also fell behind the other European countries economically and it has only been recently that they have caught up. The switch to democracy and the formation of the European Union have helped to turn Spain around and it is now one of the most economically strong countries in Europe. The Spanish economy is primarily a post industrial service economy that focuses largely on the high tech industries. Although Spain still has a significant fishing and farming industry they have primarily moved away from this type of economy.
Spain is one of the most culturally diverse countries in Europe, having at various times in it's history been influenced by Christian, Muslim and Jewish culture. As one of the first countries to explore the new world Spain brought back many items from the Americas as well, further influencing the culture. This can still be seen in Spain today through it's architecture and it's culture. Spain feels different than other European countries to most visitors.
Relations between Spain and China have largely followed the same pattern as those of other western countries. For many years China looked inward and tried to avoid contact
with foreign countries and Spain pretty much ignored China. In the past two decades however this situation has changed dramatically, as China has started to become a super power. China has started to actively seek
out trading relationships with other countries and most countries have been keen to access the Chinese market, and Spain is no exception - a relationship that works both ways: china is registering new businesses in spain at a quick rate. Recent years have seen huge increases in trade between China and Spain and the two countries have been getting closer and closer together. This will likely continue for the foreseeable future.