President Hu Jintao, addressing a Sino-Spanish business and industry forum in Madrid yesterday, urged entrepreneurs from both countries to increase the scope of their cooperation.

During his stay in Spain, Hu met King Juan Carlos I, held talks with Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and met with parliamentary leaders.

As a result of the discussions, China and Spain decided to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership, officials reported.

At the business forum, Hu said relations between China and Spain have been developing smoothly, with ever-increasing exchanges and cooperation in many areas since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1973.

China expects its gross domestic product to rise to US$44 trillion in 15 years, Hu said. But as a developing country, China still needs to improve its infrastructure, city construction, environmental protection and social affairs.

"China, with a population of 1.3 billion, not only has a rich labor force but is also generating ever-increasing consumption demand as the people's living standards are rising," he said.

"I believe China's development will offer great business opportunities to enterprises throughout the world, including those in Spain," Hu said.

He urged businessmen from around the world to enter the Chinese market, making use of their advantages in finance, human resources, management and technology.

China will further improve its legal system and strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights and thus create a better legal environment for foreign investors, Hu said.

He encouraged business people from China and Spain to further enhance their cooperation and jointly explore markets in other countries as well.

Hu also said his country is willing to encourage Chinese companies to import more from Spain and support Spanish enterprises in exploring the Chinese market.

The stop in Spain was the third leg of Hu's four-nation European-Asian trip that earlier took him to Britain and Germany.