Exclusive | Greece’s ancient civilisation was once a lure for China’s leaders. Now it could prove their nemesis
- China’s grand plans for the port of Piraeus near Athens are running into difficulties, partly because of the heritage that attracted Beijing in the first place
- The Greek Central Archaeological Council unanimously turned down an expansion plan
China once hoped that the ancient Greek port of Piraeus, a few miles outside Athens, would offer the definitive answer to European countries that were sceptical about its ambitions in the continent.
After all, with millions of dollars in Chinese investments being pumped into the port, it is now on course to surpass Valencia in Spain and become the busiest container terminal in the Mediterranean by the end of the year.
If that goal is achieved, 10 years since the state-controlled shipping group Cosco started running the port, it will provide a stellar example of Chinese business capabilities.
Nor will the symbolic value be lost on the leadership in Beijing, who are eager to pursue “new achievements” through cooperation with their Greek counterparts.
As Premier Li Keqiang told his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras last year “as two ancient civilisations, China and Greece should strengthen cross-cultural dialogues”.
But while Greece’s heritage was once an attraction for the Chinese leadership, it may now prove to be a stumbling block for their ambitions.