Source: People's Daily
In the Aegean Sea in the middle of summer, in the western suburbs of the Greek capital Athens, the port of Piraeus (hereinafter referred to as "Port Bi"), giant ships from afar enter and exit the harbor in an orderly manner, and the wagons on the dock are constantly shuttling, showing a rapid development.
In recent years, China and Greece have deepened pragmatic cooperation, overcome the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic and other impacts, and promoted the high-quality development of the "Belt and Road". As the flagship project of the "Belt and Road" jointly built by the two countries, the "giant ship" of Bigang is sailing to a wider sea, becoming a symbol of mutual benefit and win-win between China and Greece, benefiting the local people and bringing full harvest and happiness.
"Confident of reaching new heights in the second half of the year"
Port Bikota, the largest port in Greece, was once in turmoil due to poor management. In 2016, China COSCO Shipping Group acquired a majority stake in the Port Authority of Bihai Port and established COSCO SHIPPING Piraeus Port Co., Ltd. to take over the operation of the port. "When we heard the news, our hearts were full of expectations." Nektarios Demenopolos, an old employee who has worked in the Port Authority of Pisa for nearly 20 years and deputy manager of public relations and investor relations at COSCO SHIPPING, recalls.
In 2008, a Chinese enterprise was granted a concession to two terminals in Bigang. Since then, Demenopelos has forged friendships with Chinese friends. "Chinese companies are far-sighted, dare to invest in the future, and work efficiently. The expansion of the two terminals was completed two years ahead of schedule, and the container capacity increased significantly. With such a lean team, I certainly have reason to believe that Bahru will be able to restore its former prosperity in the hands of Chinese companies. Demenopelos said.
After Chinese enterprises took over, they increased their investment and upgraded the level of infrastructure, laying a solid foundation for the development and growth of Belgium. In 2021, the port withstood the test of the epidemic and handed over a brilliant answer: the annual operating income reached a record high of 392 million euros; the container throughput was 5.32 million TEUs, maintaining rapid development; and the China-Europe Land-Sea Express, which connects the port with Central and Eastern European countries, completed the transportation of 153,000 TEUs, an increase of 25.2% year-on-year; Employee wages maintained steady growth...
At present, the port is building new cruise and ferry terminals, oil terminals, and expanding car terminals, etc., which have created more than 3,000 direct jobs and more than 10,000 indirect jobs for the local area.
"Did you see the biggest crane in the distance?" There are also 30 tractors here, all of which are newly purchased equipment. "Asanasios Coinis, deputy manager of the container terminal department of The First Container Terminal of The Port of Biport, pointed to reporters far outside the office window." The company fully trusts every employee and gives us a good platform to give full play to our respective talents. The pandemic has had little impact on our business, with container terminal one throughput growing 10% last year and 15% in the first half of this year, and we are confident of reaching new highs in the second half of the year. ”
"I'm proud to work here"
In the central control room of the Bicang Motor Terminal, Patricia Gigou is demonstrating to colleagues how to use the latest digital control system. "This is the latest in our long-term efforts. The use of this system greatly enhances the traceability of vehicle handling, and the efficiency of management and service levels are also improved. "Gigou is very proud.
"To be honest, when the Chinese company first acquired Bigang, my family and I were worried about career prospects. But we soon discovered that this concern was completely superfluous. After the new company took over, COSCO SHIPPING Announced to all employees that everyone can stay in office, and the number of Chinese employees will be reduced to a minimum. Over the years, China has kept its promise that the size of the Chinese personnel has always exceeded 15 people, and the local staff has exceeded 1,000.
Jigu noted that the Chinese partners have great respect for the working and living habits of local employees, and have held various activities to enhance mutual understanding and strengthen team cohesion. "On major greek holidays, the company prepares gifts for us. Similarly, every Spring Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and other traditional Chinese festivals, the company will also organize related activities to invite Greek employees to taste Chinese characteristics together. Jigu said that as a mother, she is deeply touched by the people-oriented working atmosphere advocated by the company, "many employees live farther away, and the company adopts a flexible working system, which further motivates everyone's enthusiasm for work."
Over the years, COSCO SHIPPING Has been working hard to create favorable conditions for the development of employees, and has also brought the hearts of employees of Both China and Greece closer and closer. Krissans Kamlagu joined Bahru in 2017 and loves Chinese culture. After understanding the situation, the company took the initiative to provide her with a scholarship to study in China for one year. Now, Kamlagu, who is fluent in Chinese, has entered the secretariat of the board of directors, "Bahang has opened up a new world for my life, and I am proud to work here."
In order to further enhance the sense of acquisition of employees, since 2019, The equity incentive plan has been launched in Bahru, and dozens of outstanding employees have been rewarded so far, including the manager of the administrative department, Nicholas Patmanidis, as one of them. "The company has provided such good conditions for everyone, of course we are full of enthusiasm!"
"Providing a better living environment"
The coastline of Bigang is 43 kilometers long, spanning 4 municipal administrative districts, and its development is closely related to the overall development of the city. All along, the Bigang project has been adhering to the principle of consultation, co-construction and sharing, sharing development results with the local community and people, and has received support and praise from many parties.
On the façade of a building in the port area of Bigang, the Greek mythical paintings of Poseidon and the goddess of victory shine brightly. In the near future, the building will be converted into the Museum of Greek Underwater Archaeology to showcase the glorious history of Greek maritime civilization.
As early as 10 years ago, the Greek government had plans to build an underwater archaeological museum, but it was repeatedly shelved because there was no suitable site. It was not until COSCO SHIPPING Offer offered to provide about 13,000 square meters of space for the construction of the museum free of charge and signed a relevant agreement with the Greek government in May this year that the museum plan finally landed. Greek Minister of Culture and Sports Menzoni thanked: "As part of the 'Piraeus Cultural Coast' project, the Museum of Underwater Archaeology in Greece will be completed in 2025. We will open a special zone in China to exhibit underwater archaeology and cultural exhibits provided by the Chinese side. ”
In the field of culture, in addition to the upcoming construction of the Greek Underwater Archaeology Museum, Bigang also strongly supports Sino-Greek Olympic exchanges and provides financial support for the training of disabled athletes in Winter Sports in Greece. Last year, within the framework of the Sino-Greek Year of Culture and Tourism, COSCO SHIPPING took the lead in translating and publishing the Greek literary masterpiece "Children Counting stars" in China. In the field of green development, China has built a 430-kilowatt photovoltaic power plant at the port's cargo terminal, and the port was awarded the title of "European Green Port" in 2020. At present, Bigang is still actively exploring green development through digital means to achieve energy conservation and emission reduction goals...
At the bustling Port of Pigang Cruise Port, COSCO SHIPPING is also planning to build a large park. When completed, it will be operated by the municipality of Piraeus and will be open to the public free of charge. Piraeus Mayor Morales said that the coordinated development of port and urban integration has always been the goal of the municipal government. "In the future, we will continue to cooperate with COSCO SHIPPING Port Company to promote more location advantages and provide a better living environment for citizens." (Reporter Xie Yahong)
(Piraeus, Greece)
People's Daily ( 2022-08-25 03 edition)