Visiting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday the European Union should reconsider a plan to impose tariffs of up to 36 percent on Chinese electric cars, calling for a compromise between the economic powerhouses.

He added that there doesn't need to be a trade war between China and the EU.

The European Commission, which oversees the bloc's trade policy, announced last month that it planned to levy five-year import duties of up to 36 percent on electric vehicles (EVs) imported from China. This week, Beijing renewed negotiation efforts seeking to overturn the proposed duties on Chinese EVs.

"I have to be blunt and frank with you that we need to reconsider all of us, not only member states but also the commission, our position towards this," Sanchez told journalists after being asked about the tariffs at a news conference near Shanghai.

"We don't need another war, in this case a trade war. I think we need to build bridges between the European Union and China, and from Spain we will be constructive and try to find a compromise between China and the European Commission."

Sanchez was in China for a regular state visit. On Monday, in a meeting with President Xi Jinping, he also said he hoped the EU could avoid a trade war with China.

"The government of Spain wants to consolidate the growth of our trade relations and investment with China, with a focus on green and innovative industries and avoiding that trade and geopolitical tensions damage them," Sanchez said on Wednesday.

"Nevertheless, as I said earlier, I believe that it is undeniable that these relations need to be balanced."

China and the EU have butted heads in recent years on a range of issues relating to trade, technology and national security. (Reuters/AFP)