The Dragon in the Cradle of Democracy: A Tale of the Post-2006 Sino-Greek Relations

This paper explores the political relationship between Greece and China, focusing on the key developments and challenges that have shaped their interactions over the past 17 years. The paper begins by examining the historical background of the relationship between China and Greece including the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1972 and the deepening of economic and cultural exchanges after 2006. The paper then analyzes the key events that have shaped the Sino-Greek relations since 2006, including Greece’s participation in China's Belt and Road Initiative, the acquisition of the Piraeus port by COSCO, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper’s main focus is on the concerns of the European Union about China's expanding influence in Europe and Greece’s role in EU-China relations. In particular, the paper examines the extent to which Greece, because of the increasing intensity of the economic ties with China, blocked or mitigated EU resolutions and statements towards China. The paper’s main hypothesis is that the closer the Sino-Greece economic relations, the stronger Greece’s determination to block EU resolutions or statements against China. To test the hypothesis, the paper examines in chronological and parallel order the intensity of Sino-Greek relations and the determination of Greece to block anti-China statements at the EU level.