The Embassy of China in Greece and the Association of Banking and Finance Executives of Hellenic Shipping co-organized the China-Greece Maritime Finance Conference at the Maritime Association of Greece, as part of the celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the “One Belt, One Road” Initiative.

The event was attended by the president of the Export and Import Bank of China Ren Shengjun, the president of the Union of Banking and Finance Executives of Hellenic Shipping Giorgos Xiradakis, the deputy governor of the Bank of Greece Theodoros Pelagidis, the ambassador of China to Greece Xiao Juncheng and more than seventy guests. from the economic and shipping sectors of China and Greece, as stated in a statement from the Chinese embassy in Greece.

In his speech Export-Import Bank of China chairman Ren Shengzhun, according to the same announcement, said that the Bank is one of the most important ship financing organizations in the world, and the maritime credit products it provides cover both shipbuilding and the shipping supply chain. It is noted that he pointed out that the Bank supports Greek shipowners in the order of more than 100 ships of various types in China, providing financing and guarantees amounting to billions of dollars and added that the Bank will continue to promote the maritime financing cooperation between China and Greece within the framework of the Initiative ” One Belt, One Road” through four specific proposals.

China’s ambassador to Greece Xiao Juncheng said that shipping finance plays a key role in ensuring the smooth operation of the shipping industry and global supply chains, providing vital stability to the latter. Considering the huge size of the fleets of China and Greece, he noted that the shipping and financial circles of the two countries contribute significantly to global trade and economic development. In recent years, he noted, China’s shipping finance has been growing rapidly with its financial institutions steadily increasing their support for shipping. “As our countries are two major maritime powers, China is willing to seize the opportunities offered by the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative and work with its Greek friends to better understand the future of maritime finance and to share the development opportunities it will offer” he underlined.

As always mentioned in the same announcement, the president of the Union of Banking and Finance Executives of Hellenic Shipping George Xiradakis stated that Sino-Greek shipping cooperation has a long history and added: For decades, the Greek merchant fleet has carried a large percentage of Chinese imports and exports, and the cooperation between our countries in shipping finance is progressing smoothly. The Export-Import Bank of China is one of the first financial institutions that supported the maritime financial cooperation of our countries, something that the Greek side particularly appreciates. We expect that in the future the two countries will further deepen their friendly exchanges and cooperation, reaping mutual benefit.

The Deputy Governor of the Bank of Greece Theodoros Pelagidis stated, as indicated in the announcement, that in today’s complex and fluid international environment, the messages of dialogue and cooperation sent by the joint construction of the “One Belt, One Road” are becoming increasingly important and he noted: China is one of Greece’s most important trading partners and Europe, while the port of Piraeus has become a crossroads that connects the Maritime Silk Road with Europe. Today, thanks to the steady growth of the Greek economy and the growth of China’s middle class, new opportunities are being created for the whole world, including Greece. The Greek side looks forward to the continuous deepening and expansion of our countries’ friendship and cooperation in the future.

Through the dialogue and exchanges within the framework of the conference, the Chinese embassy’s announcement underlined, representatives of the shipping and financial sectors of China and Greece discussed in-depth issues that concern their industry, and especially the exact content and operation of policies financing of the Export-Import Bank of China, significantly promoting Sino-Greek exchanges and cooperation in the field of shipping finance and the joint exploitation of business opportunities, supporting the development of shipbuilding and maritime trade of the two countries.