Greece is keen to expand its commercial relations with China further and for this purpose looks to have Chinese banks established in the country.
“We want to find ways to enable Chinese banks to have branches in Athens and help the development of Greek business,” Development and Investment Minister, Adonis Georgiadis, said in an interview with Chinese news agency Xinhua.
Having a stronger relationship with China is good for Greece, and their cooperation has set an example for European countries, he added.
Georgiadis said Chinese enterprises’ investment in the Piraeus Port in Greece is a successful case of bilateral cooperation. He added that the success of this investment has exceeded expectations.
As a result of the investment, the upgraded Piraeus Port helps the products from China enter Europe in an easier way and at cheaper prices, he said.
The minister added that investment cooperation between Greece and China in the energy sector can also benefit other European countries. The two countries also have close cooperation in the shipping industry.
“I think Greece is a good example of cooperation with China, and this could help other European countries consider having more Chinese investments,” he said.
The Belt and Road Initiative helps countries like Greece make it through tough times, he noted.
Georgiadis said China’s trust strengthened other countries’ confidence in Greece. “We will never forget that.”
Georgiadis said both Greece and China are ancient civilizations, and this rich history can be an advantage for modern development.
“We want to have more Chinese investments in more sectors,” he said, adding that Greece and China could also help each other foster the development of tourism.
“We want to find ways to enable Chinese banks to have branches in Athens and help the development of Greek business,” he noted.
The second China International Import Expo will take place from Nov. 5 to 10 in Shanghai. Georgiadis said people can expect to see new products from the Greek agriculture, industry and technology sectors at the Greek pavilion.
It’s a good move that Greece is strengthening relations with China. This does not require we abandon Europe and NATO but we should be hedging our bets with China when it will be the world premier economy very soon and possibly even number one military power within a few decades.
The Chinese government claim to be “communists” but they really aren’t. They allow for private property. They allow for differences in wealth. They are even a partial democracy (they hold elections albeit for a single party). Their is still room for democratic reforms to allow more parties and free speech but they have come a long way from the time of oppressive communist thug Mao that killed and starved millions of Chinese.
Our alleged allies sold us up the river to Skopian irredentism when they started to call them “macedonians”.. And with Erdogan’s endless irredentist provocations they do the same. We should depend on no country and the best way to do that is to hedge our bets with different countries.
The fact is most countries can’t be trusted to follow principles unless they see it their national interests (see the recent dishonorable betrayal of the Kurds who were the main group that rooted out ISIS in Syria). Any Greek. left or right, that thinks that foreign governments are their “friends”.. is basically a deluded moron living post nationalist fantasies. DeGaulle had it right. You can be friends with individuals that aren’t Greeks but when it comes to nations they tend towards sophistry.