On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union, the Athens Cooperation Forum will bring together government officials, business leaders, and scholars from China and Greece for in-depth dialogue across key sectors including economy, finance, energy, shipping, culture, and education. The forum aims to uncover new opportunities for bilateral cooperation and jointly promote the advancement of China-Greece relations to a higher level.

Highlights of May 12
Morning session
A leading economist from the Bank of China will deliver an in-depth analysis of the latest developments in China’s economy.
A dialogue between a top Chinese financial journalist and the former Minister of Finance of Greece will explore China-EU cooperation under the current global landscape.
Afternoon session
Chinese energy enterprises and experts will share targeted insights and experiences to support Greece’s infrastructure and development needs.

Highlights of May 13
A special exhibition of cultural relics from Sanxingdui, Sichuan, China.
Morning session
Chinese and Greek cultural heritage experts will engage in on-site exchanges on preservation techniques and mutual learning between civilizations.
Afternoon session
Tsinghua University, along with universities from Greece and Cyprus, will hold a symposium on educational cooperation.

Organizers
Xinhua News Agency
Supported by
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Greece
Greece-China Association
Co-organizers
Bank of China (Europe) S.A Athens Branch
State Grid Cooperation of China

Register:

Forum Agenda:
Main Forum – May 12
Venue: Zappeion Hall(Leof. Vasilissis Olgas, Athina 105 57)
Opening Ceremony | 09:00–10:00
09:00–09:10 Remarks by Xinhua News Agency Representative
09:10–09:20 Remarks by Greek Official News Agency AMNA Representative
09:20–09:40 Keynote Speech: New Opportunities for China-Greece Cooperation through High-Level Opening-Up
— Official from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Greece (in English)
09:40–09:50 Remarks by President of the Greece-China Friendship Association
09:50–10:00 Keynote Speech: Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought and China-Greece Civilizational Exchange
— Li Ziliang, Director, Xinhua News Agency Xinjiang Bureau
10:00–10:10 Coffee Break
Sub-Forum I: Economy and Finance
Co-organizer: Bank of China (Europe) S.A. Athens Branch
10:10–10:20 Remarks by Executive of Bank of China Europe
10:20–11:00 Keynote Speech: Opportunities and Challenges for China’s Economic Development in the Changing Global Landscape
— Chief Economist, Bank of China London Branch (in English)
11:00–11:45 Dialogue Session: China-Europe Cooperation amid Global Changes
— Yanis Varoufakis, Former Finance Minister of Greece
— Hu Shuli, Publisher of Caixin Media Group
11:45–12:30 Session: China-Greece Financial Cooperation Participants:
– Bank of China representatives
– Greek media journalists
– Greek shipping and finance industry professionals
12:30–13:30 Lunch
Sub-Forum II: Energy and Sustainable Development
Co-organizers: State Grid International Development Co., Ltd., Chinese-Hellenic Association for Economic and Cultural Development(CHAECD), Sichuan Energy Investment Group
13:30–14:00 Keynote Speech: Green Transition and Smart Grid Development (in English)
— Invited Expert from SGID or Qu Qi, Deputy CEO of Greek National Grid
14:00–14:30 Keynote Speech (Tentative): Innovation-Driven Energy Transition in China
— Representative from Sichuan Energy Investment Group
14:30–14:45 Keynote Speech: Promoting Green Transformation and Building a Model of Cooperation — Introduction to the Megalopolis Special Urban Planning Project
— Konstantinos Michopoulos, Mayor of Megalopolis, Peloponnese Region
14:45–15:00 Keynote Speech: Advancing China-Greece Green Partnership: A New Model of Cooperation in Megalopolis
— Georgios Kagklis, President, Chinese-Hellenic Association for Economic and Cultural Development(CHAECD)
15:00–15:15 Coffee Break
15:15–15:40 Keynote Speech: The Impact of Green, Low-Carbon, and Intelligent Transformation on the Global Shipping Industry Speaker to be invited: Greek Representative of the Piraeus Port Authority
15:40–16:10 Keynote Speech: China’s Renewable Energy Storage Solutions
— Representative of Kehua Data Co., Ltd.
16:10–17:00 Panel Discussion: China-Europe Cooperation on Renewable Energy
— Invited Participants: Greek Ministry of Energy, Greek National Grid, State Grid Corporation of China, China Three Gorges Corporation
17:30 End of Day
Sub-Forum III: Ancient Shu Civilization and China-Greece Civilizational Exchange
Host: Information Office of the People’s Government of Sichuan Province
Date: May 13, 10:00–11:30
Venue: Estia Neas Smyrnis(Kon/nou Paleologou 1, Nea Smirni 171 21)
Morning Session: Ancient Shu & Ancient Greek Civilizations – Civilizational Dialogue
10:00–10:05 Opening Remarks
— Li Xinwei, Director, Institute of Classical Chinese Civilization
10:05–10:20 Remarks
— Zheng Li, Member of the Standing Committee and Head of the Publicity Department, CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee
10:20–10:30 Launch Ceremony: “Sanxingdui-Jinsha Message in a Bottle”
10:30–11:30 Series of Keynote Speeches:
— Multidisciplinary Applications and Prospects in the Excavation and Protection of Sanxingdui Site
— Tang Fei, Director-General, Sichuan Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage
— Latest Developments in Byzantine Archaeology in Greece and Europe
— Prof. Platon Petridis, University of Athens
— Thoughts on Comparative Studies of Chinese and Greek Civilizations
— Li Xinwei, Institute of Classical Chinese Civilization
— Echoes of Metallurgy – Reflections of East-West Exchange in Byzantine Metal Artifacts — Dr. Anastasia Drandaki, Curator, Benaki Museum; Associate Professor of Archaeology, University of Athens
11:30–12:00 Keynote Speech: Digital Interpretation for Enhanced Civilizational Exchange
— He Yan, Chair, Digital Heritage Committee, China Cultural Relics Protection Foundation
Sub-Forum IV: China-Europe Education and Cultural Exchange
13:30–14:00 Keynote Speech: Education Reform in Greece and Its Opportunities for Bilateral Educational Cooperation
— Invited: Official from the Greek Ministry of Education or President of a Greek University
14:00–14:30 Keynote Speech: Innovative Practices in World Heritage Education
— Pei Weiyi, Creative Director, Beijing Chuangyi Cultural Tourism Tech Co., Ltd.
14:30–15:00 Keynote Speech: Exploring Vocational Education Practices in Greece
— Invited: Principal of VERITA International School
15:00–15:15 Coffee Break
15:15–16:00 Panel Discussion: The Practice of Chinese Language Education in Europe Participants:
— Confucius Institutes of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University of Cyprus, University of Albania, Athens University of Economics and Business
16:00 Forum Closes