On August 10, 2026, the port of Piraeus in Greece reached an important milestone. Ten years ago on this day, COSCO Shipping fully took over the operation rights of the most important port in Greece since ancient times. Over the past decade, this ancient port located about 10 kilometers southwest of Athens has undergone a transformation through the joint efforts of China and Greece, growing from a Mediterranean regional port to the fourth largest container port in Europe. The two sculptures of Mazu and Poseidon stand side by side at the Bigang Ocean Culture Square, where guardians and powers meet on the banks of the Aegean Sea, witnessing a journey of civilization and mutual learning across mountains and seas.

Ten years of leap into first-class

Since taking over the operation of the port on August 10, 2016, COSCO Shipping has promoted the leapfrog development of the port. The container throughput of BiPort has steadily increased since the beginning of its takeover, reaching a historic high in 2025, ranking as the fourth largest container port in Europe and a leading port in the Mediterranean. The cruise and ferry businesses are growing synchronously, and Bilibili provides ferry services to numerous islands in the Aegean Sea and other regions for local Greek tourists. The passenger terminal is busy and orderly. Over the past decade, port infrastructure has continued to upgrade, with towering tower cranes and neatly arranged containers at container terminals demonstrating strong throughput capabilities. Bi Port has become a core hub for Mediterranean shipping, trade, and tourism.

Civilization mutual learning and people to people connectivity

On April 17, 2026, a sculpture of Mazu was transported across the ocean by the China COSCO Shipping Denmark and erected together with the sculpture of the Greek sea god Poseidon at the Ocean Culture Square in Bigang. Mazu carries the beautiful wish of guarding shipping, while Poseidon symbolizes the majestic power of the ocean. Guarding and power meet on the banks of the Aegean Sea, attracting many local people to stop and admire. Bi Gang supports the construction of the Greek Underwater Archaeological Museum to assist in the protection and inheritance of marine cultural heritage; Constructing COSCO Shipping Port Park to add public space to the community; Establish Kunpeng Scholarship to support the growth of young people. Piraeus has established sister cities with Shanghai, China and Qingdao, Shandong Province. Small acts of kindness converge into a warm current of mutual understanding and matchmaking, turning the spirit of unity, strength, and direction into a vivid practice of Chinese and Greek employees working side by side. Keywords: the Belt and Road news, ports, connectivity

Green Port for the Future

At the same time of rapid development, Bigang practices the concept of green and low-carbon, installs photovoltaic clean energy equipment in the port, promotes the use of shore power systems by docked ships, and reduces carbon emissions. The world's largest ship carrying photovoltaic energy and liquefied natural gas dual fuel vehicle transport vessel, COSCO Shipping, has made its maiden voyage to compare ports, demonstrating a new trend in green shipping. Bigang has provided some of the port site to the Greek Ministry of Culture as the construction site for the Greek Underwater Archaeological Museum, which not only supports cultural undertakings but also embodies the concept of sustainable development of the port. The mayor of Piraeus stated that in the next decade, he will continue to work together with various parties such as COSCO Shipping to transform the development dividends of Piraeus Port into tangible benefits for thousands of households, allowing the ancient port to shine even brighter in the process of modernization.Editor/Gao Xue