by Maria Spiliopoulou, Yu Shuaishuai
ATHENS, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- As the world's second-largest economy and an important force in restarting the world economy under COVID-19, China has demonstrated its leading role in international trade through events such as the upcoming 4th China International Import Expo (CIIE), a Greek official has said.
Amid trade restrictions and the general downturn in economic activity caused by the pandemic, "China's commitment to maintaining an open and welcoming trade environment sends a strong message that we must move forward together," said Betty Alexandropoulou, executive director and member of the board of Enterprise Greece, an official trade and investment promotion agency of Greece, told Xinhua in a recent written interview.
Greece, as a world leader in shipping, and China, as the world's largest exporter, are both heavily vested in international trade, she noted, commending China's policy of further opening up and reforming its economy over the past decades.
"This has transformed China into the world's second-biggest economy and benefited the entire world too. Those efforts continue and the CIIE is a critical part of China's long-term policy," she told Xinhua, as Greece is preparing to participate in the 4th edition of the expo that will be held on Nov. 5-10, with an aim to further deepen Sino-Greek cooperation.
"From the standpoint of a small country like Greece, China is an enormous market, and Greek exporters are understandably keen to establish a foothold there. The CIIE provides a platform for showcasing Greek products, building brand awareness among Chinese consumers, and connecting directly with buyers. It is an unrivalled opportunity for Greek exporters to enter the Chinese market," Alexandropoulou noted.
At last year's CIIE, Greece focused on health care products, while this year, amidst a growing demand for Greek foods and beverages, there will be a large Greek representation from this sector, she said.
Greek food products -- from olive oil to fresh fruit, from honey to herbs -- are associated with health and wellbeing, and in China and around the globe, there is a rising consumer awareness about healthy lifestyles, something that has come into even nearer focus in view of the coronavirus pandemic, she explained.
Greek exports to China have risen steadily in the last few years and the CIIE platform plays a very important role in that growth, the official said, adding that for example, in 2019, the year after the first CIIE, Greek exports to China almost doubled to nearly 1 billion euros (1.16 billion U.S. dollars).
Regarding future Sino-Greek cooperation, the Greek government has just released its National Strategic Extroversion Plan and is pursuing two dozen initiatives to engage with China involving both exports and investments, Alexandropoulou said.
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