Zapatero stated that “the China G20 presidency should lead the agenda next year” . The G20 agenda for 2016 includes pending tasks such as the reform of the International Monetary Fund, the coordination of banks for development and the creation of a permanent G20 secretary.

Considering that the G20 has a decisive task to eradicate poverty and eliminate social differences in order to obtain financial stability and economic integration, Zapatero claimed that the organism should improve and strengthen itself to achieve that purpose, in which he believed China could play a very important role.

“We need a stronger G20, with more solid economic cooperation which has to be steady and complete” Zapatero said during his speech to which he added that “the year 2016 is the perfect moment to create reforms due to the fact that the 20 world biggest economies are headed by China which is a country that has changed the whole world”.

Zapatero made these statements during the celebration of the G20 Experts Group Summit “Think Tank” where different economists, diplomatics and scholars among other personalities coming from the 20 biggest economies debated current issues and global economy solutions.

The summit, which will finish in the Chinese capital on the 1st of August, will come up with proposals that will be sent to the chief executives assisting at the tenth G20 Leaders Summit which will take place in November in the Turkish city of Antalya.

Zapatero defended during his speech the importance of letting Spanish institutions be part of meetings with experts, in spite of the fact that Spain is not a member of the G20. “It is important to hear Spanish voices in meetings where international cooperation issues are tackled ” Zapatero claimed.

Zapatero has been in China twice in less than a month, at the end of June he visited the oriental city of Yiwu in order to participate in the International Forum of the Silk Road Economic Belt.