Greek tourists as well as businessmen who will visit China for a short period of time will not need a visa as of October 1, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during the meeting he had with his Greek counterpart, George Gerapetritis, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
“We support Greek tourism,” the Chinese Foreign Minister said and added: “Greece is so well known that it does not need advertising as a tourist destination.”
Wang Yi, who is also a member of the powerful Politburo of the Communist Party of China, emphasized to Gerapetritis, about the relations between the two countries: “We represent ancient cultures with centuries of history. Ancient civilizations have a long-term view of history and this is good for long-term relationships between them.”
In November, the first world conference of Classical studies will be held in China with the participation of Greece.
The Chinese Foreign Minister congratulated Greece on its election to the UN Security Council, stressing that Beijing looks forward to cooperation between the two countries to promote the principles of the UN Charter. “We appreciate the principled policy followed by Greece and its participation in the ‘One belt, One road’ initiative,” Wang Yi emphasized, citing as an example the fact that “China invested in the port of Piraeus in a difficult period.” He added that in the field of the green transition to deal with climate change, Greece, Europe and China have a lot of room for cooperation.
Gerapetritis: We appreciate the Chinese presence in the port of Piraeus
On his part, Gerapetritis underlined that Greece greatly appreciates the Chinese presence in the port of Piraeus and its investments that have led to its upgrading. “Greece has turned the page. It is growing at twice the European average, has a stable economy and an attractive investment framework governed by European rules. Chinese investments are welcome. We have important ties in trade and shipping,” the Greek Foreign Minister noted, sending an invitation to his Chinese counterpart to officially visit our country.
“Greece and China are ancient civilizations and their relations have deep roots,” Gerapetritis stressed, adding that Chinese tourists are welcome in our country.
Constructive climate
The meeting between Gerapetritis and his Chinese counterpart took place in a particularly constructive climate, a very important fact, as China and Greece will have the opportunity to work together every day in the next two years within the framework of the UN Security Council, where China is a permanent member and Greece an elected member for the two years 2025-26. In this context, the two ministers pledged to work to promote global cooperation and the peaceful resolution of disputes based on the principles of the United Nations Charter.
In his speech at the UN General Assembly, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned against any extension of the crisis in Ukraine. He also stressed that China is committed to playing a constructive role by participating in diplomatic mediation and promoting peace talks.
Regarding the crisis in the Middle East, Wang Yi said there should be no delay in achieving a comprehensive ceasefire. “China always supports the Palestinian people for the restoration of their legitimate national rights and Palestine’s full membership in the UN,” the Chinese foreign minister said.
He added that in the face of increasingly serious global challenges, China has never stood idly by, but has contributed to solving various problems that humanity is facing.
