China–Greece relations

Chinese-Greek relations

China
Greece

Chinese-Greek relations are the relations between the People's Republic of China and the Hellenic Republic. China has an embassy in Athens. Greece has an embassy in Beijing and 3 general consulates in Guangzhou, Hong-Kong and since 2005 in Shanghai. The Port of Piraeus is important from a geostrategic view for China, as it helps China's transactions with the whole of Europe. Thousands of Chinese people are living in Greece inside the Overseas Chinese context.

History of bilateral relations

Ancient

Following the ancient Roman embassies to China recorded in ancient Chinese histories, there appear to have been contacts between the Byzantine Empire and several dynasties of China, beginning with the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).[1] From Chinese records it is known that Michael VII Doukas (Mie li sha ling kai sa 滅力沙靈改撒) of Fu lin (拂菻; i.e. Byzantium) dispatched a diplomatic mission to China that eventually arrived in 1081, during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Song dynasty (960-1279 AD).[2] Kublai Khan, the Mongol-ruler who founded the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368 AD) of China not only maintained correspondence with the Byzantine Greeks but hosted some of them at his court in Khanbaliq (modern Beijing). The History of Yuan (chapter 134) records that a certain Ai-sie (transliteration of either Joshua or Joseph) from the country of Fu lin (i.e. the Byzantine Empire), initially in the service of Güyük Khan, was well-versed in Western languages and had expertise in the fields of Greek medicine and astronomy that convinced Kublai Khan to offer him a position as the director of medical and astronomical boards.[3] Kublai Khan eventually honored Ai-sie with the noble title of Prince of Fu lin (Chinese: 拂菻王; Fú lǐn wáng).[3] In his biography within the History of Yuan his children are mentioned by their Chinese names, which bear similarities to the Christian names Elias (Ye-li-ah), Luke (Lu-ko), and Antony (An-tun), with a daughter named A-na-si-sz.[3]

Modern

In 1955 Beata Kitsikis founded in Athens the Greece-P.R. of China Association

Zhou Enlai gave Luo Niansheng the order to write the first ancient Greek-Chinese dictionary. Luo Nian Sheng translated since the 1950s also all major classic Greek works into Chinese.

During the Korean War the two countries were enemies and their forces fought each other.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on June 6, 1972. The late Prime Minister of Greece Konstantinos Karamanlis visited China in 1979 and was received by China’s leader at that time Hua Guofeng. Konstantinos Karamanlis was the first visiting head of Greek government.

Bilateral visits

Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas during the attendance of a dinner hosted by the Chinese Ambassador to Greece Linquan Luo at his residence in January 2011
An exposition with Greek thematic in Shanghai

Bilateral treaties

Embassy of Greece in China

Investment

In October 2009 Cosco leased for 30 years part of the Port of Piraeus, the cargo level two years later was three times higher than before.[5]

In 2010 a $123 million contract between Helios Plaza and BCEGI, a subsidiary of Beijing Construction Engineering Group, real estate company and construction contractor. Helios is developing a hotel and commercial complex for tourism in Piraeus, Athens' largest port town. Huawei Technologies, a Chinese telecom invested with Hellenic Telecommunications Organization.[4]

In March 2015 Deputy Greek Prime Minister Yannis Dragasakis and Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Kotzias paid an official visit to China on 25 March 2015. Within this context, Minister Kotzias met with the Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China, Wang Yi.[6]

Sources

See also

References

  1. ↑ Bretschneider, E. (2000), Medieval Researches from Eastern Asiatic Sources: Fragments Towards the Knowledge of the Geography and History of Central and Western Asia from the 13th to the 17th Century, Vol. 1, Abingdon: Routledge, reprint of 1888 edition, pp 143-144.
  2. ↑ Fuat Sezgin; Carl Ehrig-Eggert; Amawi Mazen; E. Neubauer (1996). نصوص ودراسات من مصادر صينية حول البلدان الاسلامية. Frankfurt am Main: Institut für Geschichte der Arabisch-Islamischen Wissenschaften (Institute for the History of Arabic-Islamic Science at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University). p. 25.
  3. 1 2 3 Bretschneider, E. (2000), Medieval Researches from Eastern Asiatic Sources: Fragments Towards the Knowledge of the Geography and History of Central and Western Asia from the 13th to the 17th Century, Vol. 1, Abingdon: Routledge, reprint of 1888 edition, p. 144.
  4. 1 2 "China buys Greek when no one else will". Fortune magazine. June 18, 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
  5. ↑ Alderman, Liz (October 10, 2012). "Chinese Company Sets New Rhythm in Port of Piraeus". The New York Times.
  6. ↑ http://chinaandgreece.com/yannis-dragasakis-nikos-kotzias-pay-official-visit-china-25-march-2015
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