As Greek parliament ratified with an overwhelming majority the agreement relating to the acquisition of a majority stake in the Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) by China’s COSCO, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras prepared for a visit to China.
Invited by Premier Li Keqiang, Tsipras will visit China from July 2 to July 6 and according to the Chinese Ambassador in Athens, Zou Xiaoli, there is much anticipation and excitement in China about the Greek PMs visit, as it comes at an important time in their relationship.
“Greece is becoming an important knot on the ‘Belt and Road’ and the COSCO-Piraeus project has made Greece a key link between the Maritime Silk Road and the Silk Road on land,” the ambassador said.
He also noted Tsipras’ “important speech” on China’s policy made in early 2015 on board a Chinese navy vessel visiting Greece, which was “well received” by the Chinese side. “It is fair to say that Greece has all along been China’s reliable partner within the EU,” he said.
China’s investment in the port of Pireaus is expected to help Greece exit its six-year debt crisis and transform Pireaus into a leading international transit hub from Asia to Europe.
The privatisation of PPA is expected to help debt-laden Greece boost growth to exit the six-year debt crisis through the transformation of Piraeus into a leading transit hub for products and services from Asia to Europe. PPA's privatisation will add a total of 1.5 billion euros to the Greek economy until 2052, when the concession deal expires, and help create 125,000 jobs, according to a survey of the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE), one of Greece's leading think tanks.
During his visit to China the Greek Prime Minister will meet with Chinese premier Li Keqiang and other government officials and business executives.
His official schedule is as follows-
Departure from Athens to Beijing on July 1 and arrival on July 2.
July 2 (Saturday)
-09:00 Arrival in Beijing
-18:30 Interview of Tsipras on public TV channel CCTV
-20:00 Tsipras will hold a dinner for the members of the business and media delegation to China
July 3 (Sunday)
-10:30 Meeting with the President of Wanda Group
-11:45 Visit to HUAWEI’s technological park and meeting with the company’s CEO
-14:30 Visit to the Great Wall of China
July 4 (Monday)
-10:15 Meeting with Chinese journalists
-15:40 Meeting with the Chairman of the NPC Zhang Dejiang
-16:30 Official welcoming ceremony
-16:45 Private meeting between Tsipras and Chinese premier Li Keqiang
-17:15 Wider bilateral meeting of the two delegations
-17:45 Signing of bilateral agreements
-18:00 Business Forum
July 5 (Tuesday)
-10:30 Visit to Beijing’s Forbidden City
-15:45 Wreath-laying ceremony at the Monument to the People's Heroes, in Tiananmen Square
-16:00 Meeting with the President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping
-18:00 Departure from Beijing to Shanghai
July 6 (Wednesday)
-08:45 Meeting with the President of the Chinese online retail giant Alibaba
-09:30 Meeting with the President of COSCO
-10:30 Meeting at ZTE’s center of research and development and meeting with the company’s president
-11:45 Meeting with the mayor of Shanghai, Yang Xiong
-13:45 Visit to the Museum of Shanghai
-15:00 Meeting with the President of the Chinese investment company Fosun and other Chinese businessmen
-17:00 Departure from Shanghai to Athens
