The Chinese Premier departed from Greece after concluding his three day visit to Athens and Crete, and now the Government assesses the benefits of this visit with obvious satisfaction.

China does not simply want to develop mutually beneficial bilateral relationships with Greece. It wants to use Greece as its main economic gateway to Europe and the benefits for Greece will be many.

Greek and European bonds

The fact alone that the Chinese Prime Minister stayed in Greece for three whole days is symbolically significant. The same applies for his praises for our country and his visits to several cultural attractions that advertised Greece as the country with unique history and culture.

The most important benefit, however, is Li Keqiang’s public statement that China will support the issuance of Greek and European bonds. This is the most important weapon China has in its effort to strengthen its financial presence in Europe.

Equally important is the decision of the Chinese government to use the port of Piraeus as a gateway for their products. Li Keqiang specifically said that he is willing to “work with Greece to make the port the best of its kind in the Mediterranean”.