Chinese firms in Greece to launch own chamber

By Ilias Bellos

The Chinese companies active in Greece, whose numbers are on the rise, are creating a new, exclusively Chinese chamber of enterprises.

Their aim is the common protection and promotion of their interests and to establish themselves as a group on the Greek business scene. The sectors they are mainly interested in are transport, shipping, telecommunications, energy, tourism, commerce and real estate.

Chinese banks are also preparing to establish a presence in Greece in activities beyond shipping, where they have already obtained a significant share.

According to sources, the Chinese chamber of enterprises is expected to become a reality very soon, with its headquarters likely to be housed at the installations of Piraeus Container Terminal, Cosco’s local subsidiary.

This comes just a few days after the inauguration of telecom firm ZTE’s transit and logistics hub in Piraeus – which was attended by Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras – as Chinese companies are increasingly interested in investing in Greece and are demonstrating this on a daily basis.