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China Says U.S. Seeks to Weaken Its Ties with Greece
(MENAFN) China has sharply criticized the United States, accusing it of trying to weaken Beijing’s ties with Greece.
The rebuke came after US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle publicly encouraged Athens to explore ways to curb Chinese influence, including the possible sale of the Chinese-operated Port of Piraeus. In response, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Athens posted on the US social media platform X that “this constitutes malicious defamation of the normal Sino-Greek commercial cooperation and a serious interference in Greece's internal affairs.”
The statement highlighted China’s “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition” and added: “These statements, permeated with a Cold War mentality and hegemonic logic, contravene the fundamental professional ethics of a diplomat and fully reveal the insidious intent of the United States to serve its own geopolitical interests by exploiting the Port of Piraeus and even Greece itself.”
China also emphasized that its relations with Greece “neither target third parties nor are affected by third parties” and praised the Chinese investment in the port as a model of successful bilateral cooperation.
“In the current period of rapid development for the Port of Piraeus, the United States, with selfish intentions, is inciting Greece to terminate its contractual obligations and sell the port—this practice is a typical example of imposing its own thinking on others and reveals a mentality that seeks to undermine stability,” the statement said.
Chinese state-owned company COSCO first secured a 35-year concession in 2008 to operate Piers II and III of Piraeus for €490 million. In April 2016, COSCO purchased a 51% stake in the Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) for €280.5 million, increasing its holding to 67% in 2021 after an additional €86 million investment.
Last week, Guilfoyle signaled Washington’s desire to remove China from the port during an interview with a private broadcaster. She said: “It is unfortunate, but I think there’s ways around it, that something could be worked out, whether you pursue a path of enhancing output in other areas or perhaps that Piraeus could be for sale.”
The rebuke came after US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle publicly encouraged Athens to explore ways to curb Chinese influence, including the possible sale of the Chinese-operated Port of Piraeus. In response, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Athens posted on the US social media platform X that “this constitutes malicious defamation of the normal Sino-Greek commercial cooperation and a serious interference in Greece's internal affairs.”
The statement highlighted China’s “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition” and added: “These statements, permeated with a Cold War mentality and hegemonic logic, contravene the fundamental professional ethics of a diplomat and fully reveal the insidious intent of the United States to serve its own geopolitical interests by exploiting the Port of Piraeus and even Greece itself.”
China also emphasized that its relations with Greece “neither target third parties nor are affected by third parties” and praised the Chinese investment in the port as a model of successful bilateral cooperation.
“In the current period of rapid development for the Port of Piraeus, the United States, with selfish intentions, is inciting Greece to terminate its contractual obligations and sell the port—this practice is a typical example of imposing its own thinking on others and reveals a mentality that seeks to undermine stability,” the statement said.
Chinese state-owned company COSCO first secured a 35-year concession in 2008 to operate Piers II and III of Piraeus for €490 million. In April 2016, COSCO purchased a 51% stake in the Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) for €280.5 million, increasing its holding to 67% in 2021 after an additional €86 million investment.
Last week, Guilfoyle signaled Washington’s desire to remove China from the port during an interview with a private broadcaster. She said: “It is unfortunate, but I think there’s ways around it, that something could be worked out, whether you pursue a path of enhancing output in other areas or perhaps that Piraeus could be for sale.”
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