Chinese Ambassador Xiao Junzheng: Greece is a key gateway from Asia to Europe

Athens, Greece.- Chinese Ambassador to Greece Xiao Junzheng, emphasized Greece’s pivotal role as a gateway connecting Asia, Europe and Africa. In an interview at the Chinese Embassy in Athens, he highlighted the strong maritime cooperation between China and Greece.

Xiao Junzheng stressed that China and Greece, with their rich maritime histories, value ocean protection and sustainable use of marine resources. China is a global leader in shipbuilding and trade, while Greece is the world’s largest maritime nation. Their maritime collaboration is a crucial link in their bilateral relationship.

Xiao Junzheng praised Port of Piraeus as a top-tier global logistics hub, noting its high container traffic and China’s support for its development. “ Since President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Greece in 2019, our bilateral trade volume has significantly increased, rising from 8.47 billion dollars in 2019 to 13.6 billion dollars in 2023, which hit a new record. Today, China is Greece’s third-largest global trading partner and the largest trading partner outside the EU.

According to Chinese statistics, in the first half of this year, Greek exports to China increased by 23.8% year-on-year, reaching 565 million dollars. The top five Greek exports to China are petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, ores, marble, and iron ore, while the exports with the highest growth rates include skin cleansing products, pyrite, petroleum products, copper scrap, and whey, with year-on-year increases of 275%, 161.2%, 86.5%, 76.1% and 53.1%, respectively,” he said.
Xiao Junzheng also discussed the potential deepening of cooperation in transportation, green energy, telecommunications, and digital technology. He expressed China’s willingness to facilitate Greek exports to China and encouraged Greek businesses to invest in China. Greek exports to China have risen significantly, with key products including petroleum, pharmaceuticals, minerals, marble, and iron ore. He noted that Greece has been invited as a guest of honor to the 4th China-Central and Eastern European Countries Expo in Ningbo in 2025.

The ambassador congratulated Greece on its election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2025-2026 and expressed China’s readiness to enhance coordination on international issues. He also spoke about China’s modernization efforts, focusing on human-centered development and social equity. China remains committed to opening up and creating new opportunities globally, including for Greece. Finally, he addressed the Beijing Declaration on Palestinian unity, viewing it as a significant step towards resolving the Palestinian issue and achieving stability in the Middle East.

Source:amna.gr