Chinese Ambassador to Greece Fang Qiu: New Air Route is an Aerial Passage, and a Bridge of Friendship

On June 30, the Chengdu-Athens route was inaugurated. Chengdu becomes the third city in Mainland China and the only one in the central and western regions to open a route to Athens.

At present, Sichuan is accelerating the construction of a strategic highland for opening up to the west. What does the opening of this route mean for Sichuan? How will it promote exchanges and cooperation between Western China and Greece? Before the maiden flight, Fang Qiu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Hellenic Republic, accepted an exclusive interview with our reporter.

The potential for China-Greece economic and trade cooperation is huge

Sichuan has a significant role to play

Chuanguan News reporter: What is the development trend of exchanges and cooperation between China and Greece? How involved is Sichuan?

Fang Qiu: Both China and Greece are ancient civilizations with a long history of friendly exchanges. In recent years, under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and China-Central and Eastern European Countries cooperation, the China-Greece comprehensive strategic partnership has continued to deepen. High-level interactions are frequent, political mutual trust has been steadily enhanced, practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results, and exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations have been bright and colorful.

Local cooperation is an important part of China-Greece relations. Sichuan Province, as an important gateway in Western China, is increasingly becoming a significant force in promoting friendly exchanges and practical cooperation between China and Greece. Sichuan Province and Attica Province, as well as Chengdu City and Athens City, have established friendly cooperation relations. In May this year, a Sichuan provincial leader led a delegation to visit Greece, and the "Bronze Light - Special Exhibition of Ancient Shu Civilization" was grandly exhibited in Athens. The achievements of Sanxingdui and Jinsha sites were presented in Greece for the first time, receiving widespread attention. The Sichuan International Communication Center, together with the Chinese Embassy in Greece and well-known domestic music platforms, jointly launched the bilingual Chinese-Greek theme song "A Thousand Years Later", showcasing a cross-time-space dialogue and emotional resonance between the two ancient civilizations. I believe that Sichuan will continue to play an active role in the country's overall foreign cooperation landscape, continuously expand exchanges and cooperation with Greece in various fields, and constantly enrich the connotation of bilateral relations.

Chuanguan News reporter: In which areas is China-Greece cooperation, especially economic and trade cooperation, concentrated? What are the future growth areas? What opportunities does Sichuan have?

Fang Qiu: In recent years, China-Greece economic and trade cooperation has developed steadily, with a good growth momentum in bilateral trade volume. In 2024, bilateral trade reached 12.87 billion US dollars. China has remained Greece's third-largest global trading partner and the largest outside the EU for many years.

China-Greece cooperation covers a wide range of fields, including transportation, shipping and logistics, new energy, finance, etc. The potential for China-Greece economic and trade cooperation is huge, and Sichuan has a significant role to play. Sichuan has a comprehensive industrial system with comparative advantages in electronic information, equipment manufacturing, food and light textiles, and cultural tourism resources. In the future, cooperation with Greece can be deepened in the following aspects: first, encourage enterprises to expand trade scale with Greece through exhibitions, cross-border e-commerce platforms, etc.; second, seize opportunities such as Greece's manufacturing upgrade, energy transition, and digital development to carry out cooperation in new energy, equipment manufacturing, medical health, etc.; third, promote cultural, educational, tourism and other people-to-people exchanges to deepen and solidify, enhancing mutual understanding.

The first direct flight route from Central and Western China to Greece

Marks a new step in connectivity with Europe

Chuanguan News reporter: What impact and significance does the opening of the Chengdu-Athens route have on promoting exchanges and cooperation between Sichuan and even central and western China with Greece?

Fang Qiu: At present, there are already two direct flights between Mainland China and Greece: Beijing-Athens and Shanghai-Athens, which have effectively promoted personnel exchanges and cooperation between the two countries. Now, the official opening of Sichuan Airlines' Chengdu-Athens route is the first direct flight from central and western China to Greece, marking a new step in connectivity between this region and Europe. It is of great significance for strengthening personnel exchanges and practical cooperation with Greece and even Europe.

Chengdu not only has profound historical and cultural heritage, but is also a hub for high-level technological innovation, higher education, and cultural tourism resources. The new route will significantly shorten travel time between central and western China and Greece, reduce travel costs, facilitate two-way exchanges, and inject new vitality into cooperation in economy, trade, culture, education, science and technology, and many other fields. This route not only serves Sichuan but also radiates to neighboring provinces such as Chongqing, Yunnan, and Guizhou, enhancing the international connectivity of the entire central and western region, providing solid support for deepening practical cooperation between central and western China and Greece and Mediterranean countries.

I believe that the Chengdu-Athens route is not only an aerial passage connecting two cities but also a bridge linking the hearts of the people of the two countries, further enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of the two countries, and helping bilateral relations reach a higher level.

Chuanguan News reporter: Kou Minfang