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BEIJING/MADRID, May 18-- After a day's work at the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba's, Guillermo Ruiz records a Spanish audio lesson for his 60,000 Chinese followers online. A few kilometers away at the airport of Madrid, Chinese tourist Liu Jie receives the tax refund of purchases through a Chinese mobile application. Nothing exceptional. The interconnection between the Spanish and Chinese societies has undoubtedly gone beyond what Diego de Pantoja could imagine four centuries ago -- the Spanish Jesuit had dedicated his life to exchanges between the two cultures through the Silk Road. Today, that ancient trade route is renewed with the Belt and Road Initiative, which strengthens ties between China and Spain in new areas. INCREASED COOPERATION Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on May 16 started a 9-day trip for official visits to France, Spain, Portugal and Argentina. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Spain as well as the 13th anniversary of their comprehensive strategic partnership. In the Spanish capital Madrid, Wang held talks with King Felipe VI of Spain, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and his Spanish counterpart Alfonso Dastis. They discussed issues such as strengthening cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China in 2013. Tian Delong, researcher of the Institute of European Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the two countries have strengthened mutual political trust in recent years and promoted economic, trade and tourism cooperation, as well as cultural exchanges. | 
