What China’s Plans for the Eastern Mediterranean Imply for Greece and Israel

In 2013, Beijing announced its “Belt and Road initiative,” which involves the expansion of commercial ties, together with sponsorship of infrastructure projects, to connect China with Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Official rhetoric speaks of creating a 21st-century version of the ancient Silk Road as well as a parallel “maritime Silk Road.” To this end, China has made various economic inroads into the eastern Mediterranean. One Chinese company, for instance, has purchased the rights to manage the Greek port of Piraeus, while another has won a contract to construct a new port in the Israeli city of Ashdod. As George Tzogopoulos explains, both Greece and Israel, despite their very different economic situations, share an interest in making the most of economic ties with China without allowing it to upset the U.S.-backed geopolitical order, and both have reasons for concern: