Xi eyes deeper cooperation on occasion of visit to Greece

In an exclusive article for Kathimerini on the occasion of his official visit to Athens, which started Sunday and will conclude on Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping has underlined the need to boost cooperation between Athens and Beijing on all levels.

“It is our duty to upgrade our current cooperation in all sectors,” he wrote in the article which appeared in Sunday’s Kathimerini, noting that existing investments should be expanded and referring to Cosco’s presence at the port of Piraeus as “the dragon’s head.”

Xi, who is to meet on Monday with Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, added that China and Greece should take lessons from “the deep wisdom of their ancient civilizations” and jointly foster the creation of “a new type of international relations based on respect, justice and mutually beneficial cooperation.”

Xi also called for deeper cooperation in the context of Beijing’s One Belt, One Road initiative – China’s plan for a modern Silk Road of railways, ports and other facilities linking East Asia with Europe – highlighting Greece’s favorable geographical location and “particular advantages” in the shipping sector.

He added that China is willing to boost imports of quality Greek agricultural products.

During his visit to Athens, Xi aims to explore a new plan for bilateral cooperation, he wrote, noting that the two countries have already pursued “mutually beneficial” projects in the trade and infrastructure sectors.

Last week, on the sidelines of a trade exhibition in Shanghai, Xi and Mitsotakis discussed Greek agricultural goods and further cooperation in the fields of energy, transport, telecommunications, tourism and the possibility of Greece becoming a center of logistics.

In his article for Kathimerini, Xi wrote that Piraeus is “emerging as the biggest port in the Mediterranean.”