During a significant diplomatic meeting held in Beijing, China on Friday, Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where both leaders underscored the robust bilateral relations between their countries and discussed Greece’s pivotal role in bridging the gap between China and the European Union.
President Xi Jinping expressed his hope for Greece to continue its constructive involvement in enhancing Sino-European relations.
President Xi emphasised the necessity of “independence, mutual respect, and mutually beneficial cooperation” for the healthy development of China-EU relations.
Greek government sources confirmed that Prime Minister Mitsotakis echoed these sentiments during the meeting.
Mitsotakis emphasised Greece’s firm stance on the importance of maintaining open channels of communication between the EU and China, highlighting the mutual interest in nurturing a constructive and stable relationship.
The Greek PM also underscored Greece’s role as a bridge in strengthening this relationship, emphasising the need for Europe to achieve strategic autonomy to effectively address global geopolitical challenges.
Xinhua, the official Chinese news agency, extensively covered President Xi’s comments during the meeting. It highlighted the existing cooperation between Greece and China within the framework of China’s ambitious “Belt and Road” initiative. Additionally, China expressed its desire to expand collaborations in various sectors, including transport, shipping, energy, telecommunications, and finance.
Both countries aim to enhance opportunities for cooperation in the green economy, digital economy, scientific and technological innovation, emphasizing the importance of mutually beneficial cooperation and cultural exchanges within Greek-Chinese relations.
The meeting also saw President Xi Jinping expressing China’s support for strengthening people-to-people ties and cultural exchange mechanisms, such as the Chinese and Greek Ancient Civilizations Center and the Ancient Civilizations Forum.
Prime Minister Mitsotakis praised the success of the Piraeus port investment and looked forward to its further expansion. He expressed optimism about improving trade relations, facilitating greater access to the Chinese market for Greek products, and attracting more Chinese tourists to Greece.
Both leaders emphasised the importance of upgrading the Greek economy to investment grade by Chinese companies, highlighting various investment opportunities in Greece.
Prime Minister Mitsotakis also acknowledged China’s potential role in maintaining international peace and resolving global crises, such as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
Source: Ekathimerini.
