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 China |  Greece |
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ThePeople's Republic of China (PRC) andGreece established official diplomatic relations in 1972. The PRC has an embassy inAthens. Greece has an embassy inBeijing and three general consulates inGuangzhou,Hong-Kong and since 2005 inShanghai.
In the early years of theCold War, Greece, like most other Western European countries, recognized theChinese Nationalist Government ofChiang Kai-shek as being the legitimate governing authority of China, despite Chiang only controlling arump state onTaiwan. In June 1972, in the aftermath ofRichard Nixon's visit toBeijing and the People's Republic of China's admission to theUnited Nations, Greece switched recognition to the People's Republic, cutting off relations with Taiwan.[1] Today, Taiwan maintains a "Taipei Representative Office in Athens", which is active in organizing various events and making statements to the Greek media; however, Greece adheres to aOne China policy, and Taiwanese officials in Athens do not enjoy diplomatic or consular status.[2]
In the 1980s, bilateral relations were strengthened when Greek Prime MinisterAndreas Papandreou sought allies beyond Europe and the US in his policy of confrontingTurkey over theCyprus andAegean disputes, and courted China underDeng Xiaoping. Greek shipowners also played an important role, by ordering many of their ships to be built in Chinese shipyards beginning in the 1980s, instead of British, German and Japanese shipyards (as had been the case since the late 19th century).[1]
ThePort of Piraeus (under Chinese management since 2009 and majority Chinese ownership since 2016) is important from a geostrategic view for China, as it helps China's transactions with the whole of Europe.
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Ancient Chinese people had contact with theIndo-Greeks.Dayuan (meaning "GreatIonians"), was described in theChinese historical works ofRecords of the Grand Historian and theBook of Han. It is mentioned in the accounts of the famous ChineseexplorerZhang Qian in 130 BCE and the numerous embassies that followed him into Central Asia. The country of Dayuan is generally accepted as relating to theFerghana Valley, and its Greek cityAlexandria Eschate. These Chinese accounts describe the Dayuan as urbanized dwellers withCaucasian features, living in walled cities and having "customs identical to those of theGreco-Bactrians".Strabo writes that Bactrian Greeks "extended their empire even as far as theSeres (Chinese) and thePhryni".[3] TheWar of the Heavenly Horses (104–101 BC) was a war between Dayuan and theHan dynasty.TheSampul tapestry found at theTarim Basin settlement ofSampul inLop County,Hotan Prefecture,Xinjiang, has manyHellenistic features.
Following theancient Roman embassies to China recorded inancient Chinese histories, there appear to have been contacts between theByzantine Empire and severaldynasties of China, beginning with theTang dynasty (618–907 AD).[4]Theophylact Simocatta wrote a generally accurate depiction of thereunification of China byEmperor Wen (r. 581–604 AD) of theSui dynasty, with the conquest of the rivalChen dynasty insouthern China, correctly placing these events within the reign period of Byzantine rulerMaurice.[5]From Chinese records it is known thatMichael VII Doukas (Mie li yi ling kai sa 滅力伊靈改撒) ofFu lin (拂菻; i.e.Byzantium) dispatched a diplomatic mission to China that eventually arrived in 1081, during the reign ofEmperor Shenzong of theSong dynasty (960–1279 AD), centuries beforeMarco Polo's expedition.[6]Kublai Khan, theMongol-ruler who founded theYuan dynasty (1271–1368 AD) of China not only maintained correspondence with the Byzantine Greeks but hosted some of them at his court inKhanbaliq (modernBeijing). TheHistory of Yuan (chapter 134) records that a certain Ai-sie (transliteration of either Joshua or Joseph) from the country of Fu lin (i.e. the Byzantine Empire), initially in the service ofGüyük Khan, was well-versed in Western languages and had expertise in the fields ofGreek medicine andastronomy that convinced Kublai Khan to offer him a position as the director of medical and astronomical boards.[7] Kublai Khan eventually honored Ai-sie with thenoble title of Prince of Fu lin (Chinese: 拂菻王;Fú lǐn wáng).[7] In his biography within theHistory of Yuan his children are mentioned by theirChinese names, which bear similarities to theChristian names Elias (Ye-li-ah), Luke (Lu-ko), and Antony (An-tun), with a daughter namedA-na-si-sz.[7]
Τhe Sino-Hellenic contacts since Hellenistic times has recently been reinforced by the interdisciplinary study of prestige gold provided which a new interpretive framework for understanding trans-cultural contact between Han China and the Hellenistic world. The contextual analysis of the gold artefacts with foreign features presented in the current paper shows that the quest for exotica along with the desire for “heavenly horses” among the ruling elites acted as the driving force that led to an unprecedented extent of imperial expansion of the Han court in Central Asia, as well as the establishment of a vast trading network during the first century BCE.[8] Today these ancient relations are unfolded and strengthened with the Sino-Hellenic Academic Project.[9]
During theKorean War the two countries were enemies and their forces fought each other, notably at theBattle of Chosin Reservoir. TheGreek Expeditionary Force was part of theUnited Nations Command, which fought against the PRC'sPeople's Volunteer Army and North Korean forces.[10]
Andreas Papandreou, who came to power in 1981, aggressively courted China as part of his policy of finding allies beyond Greece's traditional partners in Western Europe and the US to confrontTurkey over theCyprus andAegean disputes. His April 1986 visit toBeijing, followed by the visit toAthens of Chinese PremierZhao Ziyang (the first such visit by a Chinese head of government), were important milestones in developing bilateral relations. Although Papandreou was able to earn diplomatic support from Chinese paramount leaderDeng Xiaoping on some of his initiatives, the more long-lasting impact of this visit was felt in the economic and commercial fields, especially inshipping.[1]
China and Greece raised their bilateral relations to astrategic partnership in 2006.[11]: 161
Since 2010, China has strengthened its relationship with Greece, following the increased strain in the European Union-Greece relationship afterGreece's bailout.[12]: 67
In 2014, 78 Chinese citizens were among those evacuated from Libya by the Greek navy frigate Salamis. China thanked Greece for its help.[13]
In 2017, Greece, under Prime MinisterAlexis Tsipras, prevented theEuropean Union from issuing statements condemning Chinese aggression in theSouth China Sea andits human rights record, moves widely attributed as a response to Chinese investment in thePort of Piraeus.[14][15][16]
In August 2018, Greece joined theBelt and Road Initiative.[17]
On the 12th of April, 2019, Greece officially joined China's 'Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries', becoming the 17th European Nation to join the initiative, making it 17+1.[18] This move has further developed relations between China and Greece.[19]
In 2019, theBank of China opened its first branch in Greece.[20]
On July 8, 2021, the Greek PMKyriakos Mitsotakis expressed Greece's appreciation of China's firm stance regarding a settlement of theCyprus dispute.[21] In July 2025, Greek authorities arrested four Chinese nationals atTanagra Air Base for taking photos of military facilities.[22][23]
Although China and Greece were enemies in the early years of theCold War, with their militaries directly confronting each other in theKorean War, many Greek shipowners greatly helped the Chinese Communist regime ofMao Zedong during these same years by breaking the trade embargo imposed on China by most Western countries (Greece among them) and secretly carrying cargoes to Chinese ports. During the Korean War,freight rates rocketed as demand for supplies reached enormous heights. Greek shipowners made their tonnage available to Mao's government, in a win-win situation, as Mao successfully broke the embargo and secured vital supplies while the shipowners enjoyed excellent profits.[24]
The most prominent example was that ofAristotle Onassis, who used American-made ships (theT2 Tankers) of his private fleet (then the largest privately owned fleet in the world) flying theHonduran,Panamanian andLiberian flags to transport cargoes to Chinese ports. In a similar operation coordinated with the Chinese Communist intelligence services, Onassis used his tankers to transportpetroleum to China, in ships flying theSaudi flag.[24]
In October 2009,COSCO leased for 30 years part of thePort of Piraeus, the cargo level two years later was three times higher than before.[25] COSCO has a 67% ownership stake in the Port of Piraeus.[26][27]
In 2010 a $123 million contract betweenHelios Plaza and BCEGI, a subsidiary ofBeijing Construction Engineering Group, real estate company and construction contractor. Helios is developing a hotel and commercial complex for tourism inPiraeus, Athens' largest port town.Huawei Technologies, a Chinesetelecom invested withHellenic Telecommunications Organization.[28]
In March 2015 Deputy Greek Prime Minister Yannis Dragasakis and Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Kotzias paid an official visit to China on 25 March 2015. Within this context, Minister Kotzias met with the Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China, Wang Yi.[29]
In 1978, China and Greece signed the “China-Greece Cultural Exchange and Cooperation Agreement”, followed by the “China-Greece Science and Technology Exchange and Cooperation Agreement” in 1979, and the “China-Greece Tourism Cooperation Agreement” in 1988.[30]
Since China and Greece have signed an agreement on scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation in 1979, they both have successively convened 10 scientific and technological cooperation mixed committees.[31] The cooperation projects involved agriculture, energy, geosciences, oceanography, biology, medicine.[30] In the fields of sociology,materials science andbasic research, some cooperative projects have achieved research results and economic and social benefits. The two countries also have exchanges in protection of cultural relics, museum construction, and press groups.[30]
In 2005, the "Memorandum of Understanding on China-Greece Education Cooperation" was signed.[30]
In 2012, on the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and Greece many commemoratory events were planned in both countries, such as a joint philatelic publication, circulated by the Greek and Chinese postal services. A variety of events were also organized including a Greek cinema week and an exhibition on the lives and works ofSocrates andLao Tzu.[32]
On 7 July 2021, Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed for the "Greece-China Year of Culture & Tourism" to begin in September 2021 and extend to 2022 since it is a good opportunity to further strengthen relations and increase tourist flows between the two countries.[33] On 17 September 2021, statues ofConfucius andSocrates were unveiled in Athens to mark the beginning of “Greece-China Year of Culture & Tourism”.[34] Additionally, on 29 September 2021, theGreek Ministry of Culture and Sports and its Chinese counterpart, theNational Cultural Heritage Administration, launched an online exhibition (hosted by theNational Archaeological Museum inAthens and theEmperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum inXi’an) presenting the ChineseTerracotta Army and the Greekkouros.[35] The exhibition is the first of its kind in Greece.[35] On 27 October 2021, theChinese Foreign MinisterWang Yi held meetings inAthens with leading Greek officials on Wednesday about deepening the two countries’ economic ties.[36] He specifically met with theGreek Foreign MinisterNikos Dendias and with theGreek Prime MinisterKyriakos Mitsotakis.[37][38] Wang, in his visit to Athens, noted that: "China and Greece are not only partners that benefit each other for win-win outcomes but also in particular, friends that share the same aspirations. China-Greece cooperation has been always in the front rank of China-Europe relations, setting an example for exchanges between and mutual learning from countries of different cultural backgrounds and social systems."[37]
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A survey published in 2025 by thePew Research Center found that 56% of Greek people had a favorable view of China, while 36% had an unfavorable view.[39]
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