ATHENS - Over a decade ago, when Greece was trapped in a severe debt crisis and close to bankruptcy, Piraeus was still a decaying port standing at the fork of fate.

However, these years, Piraeus has been expanded, upgraded, linked to railway networks and regained its shine, after the China Ocean Shipping Company, also known as COSCO, began managing the port's container terminals in the autumn of 2009.

Officials, observers and residents mark Piraeus as a successful example of China-Greece collaboration in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and data always tell the truth.

DATA & FACTS

In 2010, container handling in Piraeus totaled 880,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), while in 2020 it reached 5.43 million TEUs, despite the challenges of COVID-19.

Thanks to its strong foundation, the port can stay resilient in the face of the unprecedented turmoil caused by the pandemic, said Tassos Vamvakidis, commercial manager of Piraeus Container Terminal S.A., the Chinese group's Piraeus subsidiary, in an interview with Xinhua.

While such sectors as shipping, transport and supply chain suffered worldwide, Piraeus managed to weather the coronavirus storm in strict compliance with safety rules set by Greek authorities, he said.

Last year, though the port saw a roughly 3-percent reduction in terms of containers compared to 2019, the lost ground has been recovered.

"Overall, we think we managed well. This has been appreciated by our clients. We have not stopped even one day, because of the pandemic, to operate," Vamvakidis said, adding that everybody here feels proud of this achievement.

Vamvakidis, 64, born and raised at Piraeus, has been working at the port since he was 16 and has since witnessed the fruitful cooperation between Greece and China.

The Chinese investment has significantly changed Piraeus' image, as his company, which has managed the port's container terminals since 2009, currently boasts advanced equipment, infrastructure and technology, he said.

Furthermore, the operator has offered local community with more than 3,000 direct jobs and even more indirect jobs, invested millions of euros in the port and paid millions for taxes, duties and social contribution.