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Guide: "Greece sold the famous Port of Piraeus" article said that China Ocean Shipping Group Co., Ltd. (COSCO Shipping Group) finally finalized the agreement to acquire Piraeus Port on the 8th, making China aim to create a modern The Silk Road has taken a big step forward with an ambitious plan to connect China, Central Asia and Europe. "Greece sold the famous Port of Piraeus" article said that China Ocean Shipping Group Co., Ltd. (COSCO Shipping Group) finally finalized the agreement to acquire Piraeus Port on the 8th, making China aim to create a modern silk The road has taken a big step forward with an ambitious plan to connect China, Central Asia and Europe.

The article said that for COSCO Shipping Group and the Chinese government, the seven-year, multi-billion-dollar transaction was finally settled. China obtained partial management rights in Piraeus Port in 2009 and has always hoped to obtain full ownership of the largest port in Greece. However, the privatization process in the port of Piraeus was forced to shelve because the Greek left-wing government strongly opposed the plan made by the previous government. COSCO Shipping Group signed an agreement on Friday to acquire the port of Piraeus and added hundreds of millions of dollars to continue the upgrading and modernization of the port.

In ancient Greece, the “Great Wall” that connects Athens to Piraeus Port is the lifeline of Athens. It protects Athens from foreign invasion and ensures that the city enjoys supremacy in the region. Today, the port of Piraeus may once again be Greece's lifeline, which not only helps attract billions of dollars in foreign investment, but also transforms this occluded area into one of the global transportation centers. According to the article, China's “One Belt, One Road” plan is a grand blueprint with two parts, the purpose of which is to deepen trade between Europe and Asia, the Indian Ocean region and Europe. This ambitious and ambitious plan is obviously to promote economic development, especially trade development, but also to expand China's global power and influence. The acquisition of Piraeus Port can achieve both of these goals.

Chinese Ambassador to Greece Zou Xiaoli praised in his speech last month that the deal is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for China and Greece to quickly launch trade and development, and is part of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Greece. He said that the port of Piraeus is the leader of China's efforts to create a new transportation network integrating shipping and rail transportation. This transportation network will increase the speed of trade between China and European commodities and manufactured goods. According to Reuters, Xu Lirong, chairman of COSCO Shipping Group, quoted the ancient Greek mythology of Iason and Golden Fleece when he talked about the deal. He said: "Let this big ship set off and bring back the golden wool."

The article said that François Wanderpengten, a Chinese expert at the Klingendar Institute of International Relations in the Netherlands, said: "The port of Piraeus is vital not only because it is the gateway to Europe, but also because it is Entering the door of Central Europe in the core of industrial production.” Wan De Pitten has written a series of articles about China's new Silk Road and its impact on Europe.

To turn Piraeus Port into the European center of China's new Silk Road, the next step is to strengthen the links between southern Greece and the Balkans and Central Europe. And this means modernizing the railway network. According to reports, COSCO Shipping Group intends to upgrade the Greek railway system that is ready for privatization. Wande Pitten said that the port of Piraeus could be transformed into a key corridor connecting Germany, Central Europe, the Indian Ocean and China.

The article said that China's efforts to use state-owned enterprises to connect key trading centers have made steady progress. In sharp contrast, the European plan to strengthen interoperability in the internal market is progressing very slowly.

The “East-Mediterranean Eastern Corridor” is such a passage that aims to link the German ports of the Baltic Sea, the large railway centres of Central and Eastern Europe and the port of Piraeus to promote trade between the heart of the European Union and the surrounding areas. But the plan has not made any concrete progress so far, and China has turned the once "boring" Piraeus port into one of the busiest ports in Europe. Wande Pitten said: "The Greeks do not count on the EU's plan. They are counting on China's plan."

The article stated that the Chinese government has started from nuances to deepen trade and expand its geopolitical influence. This is in stark contrast to the way the United States develops trade. The US government has also sought to develop the "New Silk Road" program to help the troubled Central Asian countries develop their economies and achieve regional stability, but this plan has ended without results. Now, Washington's policymakers can only applaud China's large investment in Central Asia.