GREECE EYES CHINA MKT, THANKS to POPULARITY of COMMERCIAL SHIPPING, TOURISM, TRADE and the MEDITERRANEAN DIET.
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The official visit of Prime Minister of Greece Kosta Karamanli and the agreements that will sign with Chinese officials will give a big impulse in the Greek Economy. Those agreements concern the commercial shipping, the tourism and the trade and the strong economy of China can contribute also for the two parts, so these agreements should be «The Road China to E.E it would be through Greece. », and it can be meant as the «Road of Silk». Through of the new street they can pass also the Greek rural products. Because the results of this visit of Prime Minister to you we present the article that presented the YAHOO News.
Greece Eyes China MKT Thanks To Popularity Of Mediterranean Diet
BEIJING, Jan 18 Asia Pulse - Greece is planning to increase its exports of olive oil, Feta cheese, wine and fruits to China, as the Mediterranean diet becomes popular among Chinese.
Demand for Greek foods is growing, as many in China are convinced of the beneficial effects of olive oil, according to the Greek Foreign Ministry.
Greece has been increasing exports to China over the last few decades, through strong shipping and investment co-operation, and is now looking to expand its products.
The country last year exported raw marble, aluminium tapes, cotton, copper scrap and integrated circuits to China, with a total value of US$72.7 million, compared with US$33 million in 1990.
China exported US$1.75 billion worth of goods to Greece in 2004, compared with US$117.5 million in 1990. The main products shipped were air conditioners, vessels, toys, computer hardware, handbags and video tapes.
«Greece has been attaching great importance to the promising Chinese market, » said Evr Stylianidis, deputy minister of the Greek Ministry for Foreign Affairs, which also oversees the country's international economic policies.
Investment is an important aspect of the economic co-operation between the two countries, although no specific investment figures are currently available.
Active Chinese investors in Greece include China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO), China Seamen Club Services Co and big Chinese telecommunications player ZTE.
Greek investors are concentrated in the materials sector, although that could soon change. Greece aims for future Chinese investments to be concentrated in sectors such as tourism, renewable energy sources, and port construction and upgrading, according to Stylianidis.
Greek mining company S&B set up a perlite quarrying and processing plant in Xinyang, Central China's Henan Province. The output of the plant is partially absorbed by the Chinese market and partially exported.
Cosmos Building Materials Co Ltd, which is involved in marble cutting and processing, has been operating in Shanghai. Polcor China Ltd, which produces and applies oxides used as coatings for ship metal surfaces, has been active in China for several years.
Shipping and port upgrading constitute a vitally important aspect of economic co-operation between China and Greece.
Greece's mercantile fleet is a world-class player, carrying 19 to 20 per cent of the world's total volume of cargo annually, and the Chinese economy has been on the fast track in recent years, which puts increasingly greater demand for maritime transportation, according to John Tzoannos, secretary-general of the Greek Ministry of Mercantile Marine. Greek oil tankers transport 50 per cent of the world's sea-borne transported oil; about 90 per cent of China's foreign-trade goods and oil are shipped by sea, of which Greek vessels claim a substantial share, according to Tzoannos. Chinese shipyards are busy building vessels of various sizes and purposes for Greek shipowners. About 100 ships have been, are being and will be built by Chinese shipyards for Greece between 2004 and this year, said Nicolas Efthymiou, chairman of the Union of Greek Shipowners.
Greece has been the largest client for Japanese shipbuilders in the last 50 years, but now the focus is shifting to China, according to Stylianidis.
He expressed the hope that Greek ships would be able to carry more Chinese cargo into account. «We just help create favourable conditions, the rest is left to market forces,» said Tzoannos. The privatization of some facilities in significant ports such as Piraeus, which handles almost 60 per cent of all Greek shipping, is in the works by the Greek authorities. This means foreign capital is welcome to play a part in containerization, a world tendency towards shipping modernization.
Greek port authorities are eyeing Chinese shipping players such as COSCO. COSCO shows strong interest in Salonika and Piraeus, according to the secretary-general of the Ministry of Mercantile Marine.
Setting up commodity transfer centres in Greek ports allows Chinese goods to go further into Balkan countries and other neighbouring areas, according to the ministry.
