Greek PM Antonis Samaras meets Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in investment push
Athens seeking buyers for assets as Li Keqiang looks to Greece to fight EU trade protectionism
Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras met with Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing on Thursday, before the two leaders witnessed the signing of agreements in fields including shipping and telecommunications.
Samaras is in China seeking investment and trade deals to help revive his country's recession-battered economy.
His visit comes little over a week after the European Commission agreed to impose average import duties of 47 per cent on solar panels from China, a move it says is to guard against the dumping of cheap goods in Europe.
Yesterday Li asked Samaras to help head off the commission's protectionist measures on solar panels and telecoms equipment.
"China hopes Greece can play a positive role in the EU commission and urges the commission to cautiously use trade remedy measures, resolutely oppose protectionism and maintain … good relation[s] between China and the EU," Li told Samaras, according to the Foreign Ministry.
Samaras is travelling with dozens of businessmen and several ministers in a bid to attract Chinese buyers for Greek assets and products.
Chinese shipping giant Cosco is already credited with reviving the Greek port of Piraeus and Greece is seeking more foreign investors for state assets it is selling under the terms of its bailout.