Greece-China cooperation in shipping growing apace
Greek-Chinese cooperation in shipping infrastructure is constantly gathering pace, with more and more Greek-owned ships being built in China and Piraeus port growing into a European leader of container handling.
Piraeus Port Authority owner, China’s COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited, is one of the largest shipping enterprises in the world and owns over 1,300 ships with a combined shipping capacity of 111 million deadweight tons, ranking first in the world.
The company’s global shipping routes cover more than 1,500 ports in 160 countries and regions, with an annual cargo volume of 1.3 billion tons.
“We have made the port of Piraeus a leading container port in Europe. With joint efforts of the COSCO Shipping management team, the company has made a significant contribution to the local economy, culture, society and finance of Greece,” said Yu Zenggang, executive chairman of COSCO Shipping (Piraeus) Ports Ltd.
George Xiradakis, president of Hellenic Shipping Finance Association, said that many Greek shipowners build their ships in China, and during the last decade, half of the Greek new ships were built in that country. [Xinhua]
