Greece, China sign $4.6 bn in trade deals as Chinese premier visits

Greece and China on Thursday signed over a dozen accords worth some $4.6 billion (3.4 billion euros) as Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang began a three-day official visit.
"Greece can become China's gateway in Europe, and the start of a European trade corridor," Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said at a joint press conference with Li.
Athens seeks "to bring China even closer to Europe," Samaras said.
The deals included multi-billion-dollar Chinese bank loans to build at least 10 Greek-owned ships in Chinese shipyards.
There are also agreements on the construction of solar energy parks, and trade deals involving marble, granite, wine and olive oil.