As the Annual Conference of Financial Street Forum 2025 commenced in Beijing on Monday, one of its parallel sessions was held in Madrid, capital of Spain, on Tuesday local time, focusing on China-Europe economic cooperation.
The satellite forum in Madrid marks the first time the Financial Street Forum has been held in Spain, and its second occurrence in Europe.
Chinese Ambassador to Spain Yao Jing spoke highly of the value of this event.
"So I think that this is a very meaningful and significant [event] -- because China [and the] EU are major business partners [and] economic partners in the global community -- that China and Spain can play a bigger role or a more meaningful role for [in] this China-European cooperation," said the ambassador.
Artificial intelligence (AI) in finance, AI in education, and AI for combating cybercrime emerged as key topics at the forum, yet the central theme connecting all global discussions remained cooperation and collaboration.
"The guests we invited for today's forum can reflect the core theme, which is about how we take advantage of AI in financial services and cross-border investment, facilitating the dialogue and advice among entrepreneurs to boost the economic and trade ties between China and Europe, [and between] China and Spain," said Li Feng, general manager of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.
China's recently announced proposal for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for national socioeconomic development in the 2026-2030 period emphasizes further opening up, high-quality development, and sustaining the country's role as the engine of global growth. Against this backdrop, discussions in Madrid centered around opportunities for European companies within this new reality.
"The fact that we are having this conversation about the Five-Year Plan [is] something that we would not have like 10 years ago. It is an important milestone. We have to embrace this new multipolar reality. It's part of this geopolitical change that we are witnessing right now. So we have to invite different views, different perspectives to the conversation of designing this future: 'machine AI' reality -- 'machine plus human' reality," said Bernardo Crespo, CEO of Quantum Markethink.
Madrid-China Finance Forum highlights China-Europe cooperation
A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.
Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.
In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.
"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.
Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.
In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.
"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.
By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.
After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.
"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.
Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.
As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.
Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media
