I. Political relations
Since
Chinaand Greeceestablished the diplomatic relations on June
5, 1972it has seen a favorable development of the relations
between the two countries. In 1980s, the Prime ministers of
the two countries paid visits to each other. The Greek
President and Speaker of the National Assembly visited China
one after another and in 1990s there witnessed an increasing
mutual visits at high levels and so the two countries have
gained a favorable development of friendly cooperation in
the fields of politics, economy, culture and military
affairs. In March 1997, there witnessed an unstable
situation in Albaniain which the Greek side as requested by
the Chinese side sent gunboat over to help the withdrawal of
the Chinese personnel away from Albania.
Since
1990s, the Chinese leaders of importance who visited Greece
include: Vice-premier Zhu Rongji in 1994, Chainman of the
NPC Qiao Shi in 1996, Chairman of the NPPCC Li Ruihuan in
1997, Chairman of the NPC Li Peng in 1999, President of the
PRC Jiang Zemin in 2000, and Vice-premier of the State
Council Li Lanqing in 2002. Personages of importance who
visited China from Greece include: Foreign Minister Karolos
Papoulias and Minister of Sea Transportation Georgios
Katsifaras in 1995, Chief procurator of the Supreme
Procuratorate Aristides Dimopoulos in 1997, Minister of
National Defence Akis Tsohatzopoulos in 1997, Minister of
Internal Affairs Alexandros Papadopoulos in 1998, Speaker of
the National Assembly Apostolos Kaklamanis in 1998, Minister
of Foreign Affairs George Papandreou in 1999 & 2002,
Minister in Charge of Development Nikos Christodoulakis in
2000 and Prime minister Konstantine Simitis in 2002 and so
on.
II. Trade relations and
economic-technological cooperation
1. Bilateral
trade:At the beginning of the establishment of the
diplomatic relations the trade value of the two countries
registered a mere 1.6 million in US dollars. In recent years
it has witnessed a faster development of trade of the two
countries. In 2001, the bilateral trade value reached US$
752.3 million and 2002 rose to US$ 787 million, of which the
Chinese export value came to US$ 732 million and the import
was US$ 55 million, a respective increase of 5.5 and a
decrease of 5.9 percent as against that of the same period
before. The major commodities China exported to Greece
include textile goods, light industry products, ships and
vessels, electric apparatuses and toys, etc. while the major
imports are the composite fertilizer, marbles, medicinal raw
materials and aluminum and so on.
2. Bilateral
economic-technological cooperation:The economic and
technological cooperation of Chinaand Greecehas always been
centering on the sea-shipping. During recent years the Greek
vessels repaired in Chinareached an average of over 100 a
year and an increasing subscription of new vessels year by
year. In Greece, the cargo sea-shipping business
Chinaundertook reached a yearly turnover of 4 million US
dollars and Chinaalso provides Greek shipping companies with
over 500 person/times of crews. The COSCO, China Mariners
Technical Service Corporation and China Ships'
Classification Society have set up their respective offices
in Greece.
Up to the end of 2001, the projects
invested by Greecein Chinacame to 41 in all with an agreed
investment amounting to US$ 150 million while that actually
used was 25.77 million in the US dollars. The major projects
cover: The Barite Quarrying Co. in Henan, The Reinforced
Cement Plank Making Co. in Foshan, Cosmos Building Material
Shanghai Co. Ltd., Suzhou Car-seat Modeling Co. Ltd. and
Petsetakis Plastics Linyi Co. Ltd. and so on.
III. Exchanges and cooperation in the fields
of culture, science and technology, education and military
affairs
In line with the cultural agreement of
the two countries the two sides would sign successively a
plan for the execution of cultural exchanges with each plan
having a term of 3 ? 4 years. The two countries signed
agreement for sci-tech cooperation in 1979 and so far eight
meetings of the mixed commission have been held, the
executed projects consisting of the fields in agriculture,
energy resources, geology, oceanology, biology, medicine and
elementary science and others with some of them having
already achieved better results and social-economic effects.
The two sides have an exchange of 5 scholarships every
year.
In 1985, Shanghaiformed the friendly
cities with a Greek city Piraeusand in 1997 Xianyang of
Shaanxi Province also formed friendly cities with
Nauplion.
Since 1990s, exchanges increased
between the two armies. Vice-chairman of the Central
Military Commission and concurrently Minister of National
Defence Chi Haotian and Greek Minister of National Defence
paid visits to each other respectively in March 2002 and
November 1997.
IV. Important bilateral
agreementsundefined
1. Sino-Greek
Agreement on Trade payment in 1973
2.
Sino-Greek Ocean-shipping Agreement in 1973 and
sequenced in 1995
3. Sino-Greek Civil
Aviation and Transportation Agreement in
1973
4. Sino-Greek Cultural Exchange
and Cooperation Agreement in 1978
5.
Sino-Greek Sci-tech Exchange and Cooperation
Agreement in 1979
6. Sino-Greek
Economic-Technological Cooperation Agreement in
1983
7. Sino-Greek Agreement for
Tourism Cooperation in 1988
8.
Sino-Greek Agreement for Protection of Investment
in 1992
9. Sino-Greek Agreement for
Aid and Assistance in Civil, Criminal and Legal Affairs in
1995
10. Agreement for Cooperation of Public
Security Signed between the Chinese Ministry of Public
Security and Greek Ministry for Public Order in
1995
11. Agreement Signed between the
Government of the PRC and the Government of the
HellenicRepublicon Avoiding Dual Taxation and Tax Evasion in
2002
12. Understanding Memorandum on
Agricultural Cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture
of the PRC and the Ministry of Agriculture of the
HellenicRepublicin 2002
13. Agreement on the
Cooperation of Forestry between the State Forestry
Administration of the PRC and the Ministry of Agriculture of
the HellenicRepublicin 2002.
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