Spain to streamline Chinese investments as US and UK inflows plunge

Spain’s executive is set to facilitate Chinese capital by applying its anti-OPA shield, a tool that determines entry into large listed companies, and by prolonging the shield’s coverage for European investors for an additional year. The government will also broaden the shield’s sectoral reach and pursue a permanent reform of the investment law to keep EU-based control. A newly created Committee of Foreign Investments will serve as a fast-track, single-window process, aiming to grant approvals for major projects within six months and consolidating decision-making under the Economic Office of Manuel de la Rocha and the Ministry of Economy.

This strategy seeks to offset a recent surge in disinvestments from the United Kingdom and the United States, which together accounted for billions of euros in outflows. Chinese firms such as Chery, BAIC, SAIC, CATL, Envision, Hithium and Hygreen Energy are reportedly eyeing Spain as a gateway to the EU market, hoping to bypass tariffs and reduce bureaucratic hurdles.