A diplomatic poker game is underway between China and the United States over port infrastructures located in areas of geoeconomic interest. Something similar is happening with the Port of Piraeus, which is at the center of attention from both Beijing and Washington. After all, as a recent Reuters report mentioned, the Trump administration aims to weaken China’s global port network and bring more strategic terminals under Western control. Under this perspective, the reference by US Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle to Cosco -which controls the Port of Piraeus- can hardly be considered coincidental, as she called for reducing Chinese influence in Greece.
Specifically, when questioned by ANT1 journalist Maria Sarafoglou, she characterized as unfortunate the fact that the Port of Piraeus is in Chinese hands, while simultaneously noting that there is a way for the US to manage the situation by offsetting Chinese influence in Piraeus with American investments in other ports. Indeed, as she mentioned, “it is very important that so many are interested, regarding infrastructure, in having American infrastructure here, in order to help support the region, to improve, perhaps, the performance of other ports and areas, to offset the Chinese influence in the Port of Piraeus.” She also added that the port came under Chinese control during a contentious period when “Greece did not have the required stability.”
“Unfortunately at that time, as your prime minister had mentioned, there were no other bidders. It was a period of economic recession, things were a bit difficult. There wasn’t as much stability in Greece and I think that’s why it happened. It’s unfortunate, but I think there are ways to bypass it, to find a solution,” she concluded meaningfully, simultaneously emphasizing that she is examining ways to address the issue and there will likely be some concrete development on the matter soon.
Piraeus Port is the US primary target
The Port of Piraeus, managed by Chinese state-owned company Cosco with 67% of the shares it holds, constitutes a primary target for the US, as it is considered a central hub connecting Europe, Africa and Asia. It should be recalled that the port’s sale began during Kostas Karamanlis’s governance period and was completed amid the memorandums. Meanwhile, the US shows confidence in Greek infrastructure as they decided to use it as the main gateway for channeling American natural gas to the Old Continent. Therefore, this decision is considered of strategic importance for our country.
Furthermore, Greece is evolving into a critical energy hub for southeastern Europe, as the EU’s decision to end Russian natural gas imports after 2028 creates new opportunities. Thus, the active participation of the US in energy agreements that Greece signs confirms our country’s increasing importance on the international scene.
Seeing the American moves, Beijing appears to want to develop its dynamics and intervention in Greece. It is characteristic that on Tuesday afternoon, the vice-president of the Greece-China parliamentary friendship group, Dimitris Markopoulos, received at Parliament Chen Guoyou, who is the responsible ambassador for central and southeastern Europe.
According to parapolitika.gr sources, during the meeting Mr. Guoyou put the port issue on the table, emphasizing among other things that Beijing’s side wishes to strengthen relations between the two sides, since the Port of Piraeus constitutes a pole of attraction for exports. Under this perspective, in recent days they have proceeded with a barrage of diplomatic actions, having been mobilized by Ms. Guilfoyle’s statements on ANT1.
Indeed, this meeting comes in the aftermath of American moves, while Chinese activity will culminate with the awarding of former Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis against the backdrop of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Greek-Chinese Chamber of Commerce. The Chinese moves show that by choosing to award Mr. Karamanlis at this given moment, they want to show that they are establishing themselves in our country. At the same time, this specific move comes in the aftermath of the meeting between Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos and US Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle, within the framework of strengthening the strategic cooperation between the two countries in investments, shipbuilding industry and trade.
Lazaridis: Karamanlis award is honorary and self-evident
Meanwhile, New Democracy parliamentary spokesperson Makarios Lazaridis, commenting via parapolitika.gr on Mr. Karamanlis’s award, emphasizes that “the honorary award of former Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis by the Greek-Chinese Chamber of Commerce for his invaluable contribution to strengthening relations between the two countries does not surprise me. I would characterize it as self-evident, as Mr. Karamanlis was the visionary of the strategic concession of the Port of Piraeus to Cosco in 2008. A decision that, despite the intense protests of the then opposition, particularly Mr. George Papandreou, who -I recall- was protesting at the gates outside the port, proved decisive at that time for our economy.”
“New Democracy’s standing position is that Greece is not externally determined in its foreign policy,” he also emphasizes and adds that “for this reason we maintain excellent relations with China, the US, Arab countries and all our strategic partners, based on mutual respect and understanding. And we will continue this way,” Makarios Lazaridis concludes.
Kairidis: It’s wrong for the Chinese investment to be confused with Greece’s clear geostrategic orientation, which is, by nature and position, Western
For his part, the other parliamentary spokesperson Dimitris Kairidis notes via parapolitika.gr that “the Chinese investment in the Port of Piraeus was an indisputable success, credited to Kostas Karamanlis’s government.” According to Mr. Kairidis, “the Port of Piraeus was modernized and upgraded to one of the most important in Europe, with multiplying positive consequences for a series of sectors of the national economy.” “It is wrong for this investment to be confused with Greece’s clear geostrategic orientation, which is, by nature and position, Western. From there on, attracting foreign investments is a continuous struggle that concerns not only our own attractiveness, but also the willingness of our foreign friends,” Mr. Kairidis concludes.
