头条英文播报｜Xi: BRI helping Chinese, Greek people

President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, accompanied by Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos (second from left) and his wife, Vlassia PavlopoulouPeltsemi (second from right), visit the Acropolis Museum in Athens on Tuesday. KUANG LINHUA / CHINA DAILY

President calls Port of Piraeus example of cooperation benefits

The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative is not an empty slogan but a successful practice and a brilliant reality, President Xi Jinping said during a visit to the Port of Piraeus in Greece on Monday.

Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, accompanied by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his wife, Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotakis, were warmly welcomed by Chinese, Greek and other employees waving national flags of the two countries upon their arrival at the port.

Later, Xi and Peng visited the Acropolis Museum in Athens, accompanied by Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and his wife, Vlassia Pavlopoulou-Peltsemi.

The Port of Piraeus, some 10 kilometers southwest of Athens, the Greek capital, has become a flagship project under Belt and Road cooperation after China Ocean Shipping Co acquired a majority stake in the port and took over its management and operations in 2016.

The port has created jobs for more than 10,000 Greeks and is now the largest in the Mediterranean region.

Xi talked with representatives of local staff and asked about their work and lives. The staff expressed gratitude to COSCO for providing jobs in difficult times during the Greek debt crisis and said they feel proud and have full confidence in the port's future.

Xi said he was delighted to know that COSCO's Port of Piraeus project was able to help locals through hard times, hailing the workers as important participants in and contributors to the joint construction of the Belt and Road as they offered a hand in developing the port.

According to Xi, the BRI upholds the principle of extensive consultation, joint development and shared benefits. This means no one makes decisions for others, but instead all participants share responsibilities and benefits in BRI cooperation.

He stressed that the port project is a successful example of Sino-Greek cooperation, which complements each other's advantages, combined strengths and achieved mutual benefits.

The president urged the two nations to make continued efforts to further construct and develop the port, achieve the goal of making the port a regional logistics distribution center and advance the building of the China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line.

Xi also expressed confidence in the unlimited prospects of the port, saying that the fruits of cooperation will continue to benefit the people of both countries and the region.

Mitsotakis pointed out that China helped the Greek people when his country was embroiled in the debt crisis.

The facts have shown that the port project is mutually beneficial, and it has greatly boosted the recovery of the Greek economy and social development, served the interests of Greece and its people and received support from the Greek people, he said.

Greece is willing to join hands with China to further expand and strengthen the port project, making it a paragon of the joint construction of the Belt and Road, he added.

Greek Minister of Development and Investments Adonis Georgiadis said that the image of Greece's largest port has changed in recent years, and he was confident that cooperation will flourish.

"This investment will go forward in the next step and the political will of our government is to help COSCO's investment become much bigger for the good of the Greek and Chinese people," Georgiadis said.

Liu Zuokui, a senior researcher on Central and Eastern European studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that Greece is now playing a vital role in building the Maritime Silk Road, and the BRI is largely in line with Greece's traditional pursuits of developing commerce and overseas exchanges.

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记者：张陨璧、莫竞西

播报：James McCarthy

【阅读背景】

习近平和希腊总理米佐塔基斯共同参观中远海运比雷埃夫斯港项目

当地时间11月11日，国家主席习近平和夫人彭丽媛在希腊总理米佐塔基斯夫妇陪同下，共同参观中远海运比雷埃夫斯港项目。

习近平和夫人彭丽媛抵达时，中外员工挥舞中希两国国旗，热烈欢迎。

两国领导人夫妇一同听取港口运营和发展规划介绍，随后来到楼顶平台，远眺整个港口。码头上一派繁忙有序、欣欣向荣的景象。大型货轮在港口停靠，集装箱成排码放，桥吊高耸林立，满载货物的“中欧陆海快线”班列整装待发。

习近平与当地员工代表亲切交谈，询问他们的工作和生活情况。员工们纷纷表示，非常感谢中远海运集团在希腊债务危机最困难时给他们提供了工作机会。现在他们工作稳定、生活舒心。比雷埃夫斯港已经成为共建“一带一路”的重要成果，他们感到骄傲和自豪，对比雷埃夫斯港的未来充满信心。

习近平说，很高兴来到比雷埃夫斯港参观。百闻不如一见。今天我在这里看到，中国倡议的“一带一路”不是口号和传说，而是成功的实践和精彩的现实。“一带一路”倡议坚持共商共建共享，不是一家说了算，而是大家共担责任，共享成果。中国在对外交往中秉持正确义利观。我很高兴得知，在你们困难的时候，中远海运比雷埃夫斯港项目帮了你们。你们把比雷埃夫斯港建设好，就是共建“一带一路”的重要参与者和贡献者。祝你们工作顺利、生活幸福。

习近平指出，比雷埃夫斯港项目是中希双方优势互补、强强联合、互利共赢的成功范例。希望双方再接再厉，搞好港口后续建设发展，实现区域物流分拨中心的目标，打造好中欧陆海快线。我相信比雷埃夫斯港的前景不可限量，合作成果一定会不断惠及两国及地区人民。祝中希合作不断取得新的佳绩。

米佐塔基斯表示，当希腊身处债务危机时，中国帮助了希腊人民。事实证明，比雷埃夫斯港项目是互惠互利的，有力促进了希腊经济复苏和社会发展，符合希腊国家和人民利益，得到了希腊人民的支持。希方也从中深刻体会到“朋友”一词的真正含义。希方愿同中方携手努力，做大做强比雷埃夫斯港项目，使其成为共建“一带一路”的典范。

丁薛祥、杨洁篪、王毅、何立峰等参加上述活动。

比雷埃夫斯港是希腊最大港口，位于雅典西南约10公里处。2016年，中远海运集团成功中标比雷埃夫斯港港务局私有化项目，正式成为港务局控股股东并接手运营管理，当前直接和间接为当地1万多人创造了就业。该港现已成为地中海地区最大港口和全球发展最快的集装箱码头之一。（中文来源：新华网）

原文链接：

http://www.xinhuanet.com/world/2019-11/12/c_1125219291.htm