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By Panos Leivadas

That the People's Republic of China has become a significant player in the global arena is an indisputable fact that prompts international interest. Greece not only embraces this development but also sees in it great potential for multileveled bilateral co-operation. After all, the two countries have always been tied together with a long and strong bond of friendship, mutual understanding and respect.

China, empowered by the physical size of its land as well as the vigor of its human capital and confidence in the momentous growth of its economy, looks ahead with optimism. As it steadily opens its gates to the world, new opportunities present themselves in terms of closer co-operation between Greece and China even more so, of course, given that the two peoples share a common sense of history and deep understanding of humanitarian principles.

Within this context that is especially positive for our bilateral relations, the fact that Beijing will hold the Olympic Games of 2008 immediately following those of Athens and that we will, therefore, co-operate extensively on a new level is a most promising coincidence for both countries. On the one hand, it is important for Greece that we constitute the first society since we organized, with great success, the Olympics of 2004 that China gets to know during the further opening of its economy and society, in the last few years.

For China, the above coincidence is of great significance since Greece is not only a good old friend but also the paradigm for how a country can turn international criticism into international recognition. In other words, the Chinese people have great respect for a country that delivered with respect to a challenge of great magnitude and was, in the process, recognized as a stable and safe environment of reliable partners. Proving everyone that doubted her, Greece improved her image abroad; this now provides added value to all aspects of herself.

Since China is well aware of the fact that the Olympics inherently go beyond the boundaries of an athletics competition to be a multifaceted event that transforms perceptions, she aspires to pleasantly stun the world. It is no surprise that Beijing is co-operating with Greece in terms of transfer of know-how concerning overall Olympic preparations, communications, organizational experience, security and other matters.

In the wake of this co-operation and as the two peoples get to know each other better, our bilateral relations deepen and broaden. Indicative of the further cordiality between us is the fact that the year 2008, when the whole world will be watching Beijing, will be the cultural year of Greece.

At the same time, our co-operation in other fields is also getting increasingly extensive as we capitalize on our strong relations and the happy occasion of the Olympic Games taking place in Athens and Beijing subsequently.

First, in terms of the maritime industry, where Greece undoubtedly is a leading global power, we aim at broader collaboration. After all, the Greek maritime sector has great potential since we hold the first place in ship ownership and have the top purchasing power in the world, in terms of legal, banking, and other services in the business.

Among the goals of co-operation in this field is to render Greek ports into distribution centers and commercial nodes for Chinese products directed to Southern Eastern Europe as well as the broader region. This would clearly present great opportunities for Chinese commerce and Greek business, in general.

Second, there is close co-operation between Greek and Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises; the above has the potential to draw significant amounts of investment into both countries. But also in terms of specific products, we explore opportunities for further collaborating with each other. For instance, there is great interest on the part of our Chinese business partners in premium-quality Greek virgin olive oil. All in all, both countries aspire to capitalize on each other's comparative advantages in products and services, within the context of respect, co-operation and mutual growth.

Lastly, the two countries collaborate to a great extent in the tourist industry, given the Chinese people's cultural and historical interest in our country. Of course, this interest has grown further, since the two societies have gotten to know each other better due to the happy Olympic coincidence. After all, tourism both promotes and exemplifies friendship between societies. Our focused efforts have already borne much fruit. Greece has launched multiple advertising campaigns in China and actively participates in tourist exhibitions.

The author is Secretary-General of Information with the Ministry of State, Greece.

(China Daily February 16, 2006)