By Antonis Tsimplakis

 

XRTC Business Consultants and the China Classification Society (CCS) cut the New Year's cake in the presence of the new ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Greece, Fang Qiu, and representatives of the shipping community.

 

At the Piraeus Nautical Club, George Xiradakis, founder and CEO of XRTC Business Consultants, and Baochun Wang, general manager of CCS Athens-Greece, welcomed their guests, who had the opportunity to meet the Chinese ambassador and chat with him.

 

Developing Strong Greece-China Relations

 

The Chinese Ambassador, Fang Qiu, in his speech, underlined that Greece and China, through 53 years of diplomatic relations, have developed strong ties based on mutual trust, understanding and support. Greece's remarkable economic recovery is a very encouraging development and is proof of the resilience and determination of the Greek people, said Mr. Fang, emphasizing that confidence in Greece's economic future is growing, while optimism is flourishing in all sectors.

 

The Chinese ambassador stressed China's commitment to supporting Greece in strengthening its shipbuilding and repair capabilities, including expanding financing for Greek shipowners to build ships in China. He also said that China encourages the production of ship components by Greek manufacturers, while inviting Greek companies specializing in financial and legal services, ship insurance and other related services to develop their presence in China.

 

Mr. Fang emphasized the urgency of addressing the challenges of green transformation in the shipping industry. He expressed confidence that the two countries can work together to advance energy-saving and emission-reduction technologies while promoting the adoption of green energy. Concluding his speech, he reaffirmed China's commitment to strengthening cooperation with the Greek shipping industry, upholding globalization, and contributing to the stability of the global supply chain.