(Photo/ Xinhua)

The Madrid to Yiwu train is the longest cargo train journey in the world. 

From station to station it takes around three weeks passing through countries such as Germany, Poland, Russia and Kazakhstan before reaching its final destination in Zhejiang province. 

The train, however, is about so much more than the products it delivers. It symbolizes the strengthening ties between Spain and China. 

Pedro Sanchez's historic visit to China only serves to further solidify that relationship.

A study carried out by ESADEGeo and HSBC, one of the most comprehensive of its kind in Spain, concludes there is strong growth potential when it comes to increasing exports to China.

Pedro Aznar is an economics and finance expert with ESADE in Barcelona. He told CGTN that Spain needs to focus on industries that have a competitive advantage over other countries. 

"I think that the agri-food industry is a very clear case. But also, renewable energy is. Then, what we need is to give them support. How? I think in two ways," he said.

"One way is to have this company to improve itself, to invest in new technology, but also to increase their size, because there's a clear correlation between company size and the probability that you will export."

Breaking into Chinese market

There is over 400 million people in China who could be categorized as middle-class in what many experts believe is the largest demographic of its kind in the world. 

It's not just consumer goods where the growth potential lies. The finance and investment sector is on the rise, with a particular focus on technology.

GBS Finance have offices all over the world with their headquarters in Madrid. They help Chinese companies acquire major assets in Spain and Spanish companies who want to break into the Chinese market. 

Mikel Bilbao, a partner with GBS Finance, emphasized to CGTN that Spanish companies need to adopt the right strategies to establish themselves.

"Distribution is essential in China," he said. "We are talking about 1.3 billion people and cities with 25 million residents. So, it's very relevant to always have the right distribution with a local partner and definitely with the local team."

This year marks the 50Th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and it looks like the foreseeable future shows much promise for both countries.

Editor: Ye Ke, Lou Shihang (intern)