Wang Yi talks about three clear messages to Greece and Europe

On October 27, 2021 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with reporters in Athens after talks with Greek Foreign Minister Dendías.

Wang Yi said that China and Greece are not only mutually beneficial and win-win partners, but also like-minded friends. China-Greece cooperation has always been at the forefront of China-EU relations and has become a model for exchanges and mutual learning between countries with different cultural backgrounds and social systems. I am visiting four European countries, including Greece, to convey three clear messages to friends in Greece and Europe:

First, China hopes to work with Europe to carry forward the Olympic spirit. A few days ago, the seeds of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics were successfully ignited in Greece and transported to China. I want to tell you that Beijing is ready, and we are confident to dedicate a "simple, safe and wonderful" Olympic event to the world. The Olympic movement originated in ancient Greece and revived in modern Europe, we welcome athletes from Greece and European countries to participate in the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, jointly carry forward the Olympic spirit of "unity and fraternity, fair competition and mutual understanding", and create a better future for mankind to be higher, faster, stronger and more united. The politicization of sport distorts the purposes of the Olympics and should be resisted together. Healthy and equitable physical education can enhance mutual awareness and understanding in different countries.

Second, China hopes to work with Europe to promote connectivity. The port of Piraeus in Greece is the flagship project of Sino-Greek cooperation on the "Belt and Road", creating a large number of jobs and income for the local area, and has grown into the largest port in the Mediterranean. As a model for mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Greece, as well as the starting point of the China-Europe Land-Sea Express, it will become the hub of the third China-Europe trade corridor. The success of The Port of Belgium fully demonstrates that China-EU connectivity has great potential for cooperation and bright prospects for development. Greece is a maritime power, and China is willing to further deepen maritime cooperation with Greece on the basis of abiding by international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. We are willing to deepen the docking of the Belt and Road Initiative with the EU's global connectivity strategy, enhance the level of Asia-Europe connectivity, stimulate the growth potential of China and the EU, and help the global economic recovery.

Third, China hopes to work with Europe to promote dialogue among civilizations. China and Greece are both ancient civilizations, and thousands of years of wisdom are an important foundation for the stability and long-term development of bilateral relations. China and Europe have been exchanging civilizations for more than 2,000 years, and historical accumulation is our greatest wealth. Different civilizations should respect and appreciate each other in order to have their own beauty and share the same beauty. In the face of the current uncertain and unstable world, China and the EU, as representatives of the civilizations of the East and the West, should strengthen dialogue and communication, promote understanding and mutual trust, dispel misunderstandings and doubts, and consolidate the political foundation based on the one-China principle. China and Greece have agreed to jointly build a research center for mutual learning among civilizations and promote cooperation in the "Forum of Ancient Civilizations", and we hope that more European partners will participate in it, jointly inject stability and positive energy into China-EU relations and international cooperation, and jointly make due contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind. (Reporter Wang Yuguo)