Economic relations between Greece and China are gaining fresh momentum in 2026, with strong growth in Greek exports, continued Chinese investment and renewed tourism driving closer cooperation between the two countries. According to the 2025 Annual Report by the Greek Office of Economic and Commercial Affairs in Beijing, bilateral trade exceeded €7.18 billion in 2025 despite Greece continuing to run a substantial trade deficit with China. Greek exports to China rose by 68.1% to €697.2 million, up from €414.6 million in 2024, while imports from China fell by 6.6% to €6.48 billion.
The improvement reduced Greece’s trade deficit by approximately €740 million, marking a significant turnaround after years of widening imbalances. Petroleum and pharmaceuticals lead export growth Refined petroleum products recorded the strongest growth, with exports soaring 1,972% to €279 million, accounting for around 40% of all Greek exports to China. Pharmaceutical products ranked second, increasing 44% to €102.7 million, highlighting the growing competitiveness of Greece’s pharmaceutical industry in the Chinese market.
Other leading exports included: Marble: €77.5 million Precious metal ores: €74.6 million Copper products: €21.8 million The report also identifies olive oil, fruit juices, dairy products and high-technology goods as sectors with strong long-term potential as China’s middle class continues to expand. Chinese investment remains strong China continues to view Greece as an attractive investment destination, particularly in infrastructure, energy, logistics, telecommunications and real estate. The Golden Visa programme remains a major driver of Chinese investment.
Between the programme’s launch in 2013 and the end of 2024, Greece issued 15,115 residency permits to foreign investors, with 8,607 granted to Chinese nationals—representing 56.2% of all Golden Visa recipients. Investments linked to the programme totalled €4.47 billion during 2023 and 2024 alone. Tourism emerges as major growth opportunityAdvertising1 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The report identifies tourism as one of the most promising sectors for bilateral cooperation in 2026.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 164,000 Chinese visitors arrived in Greece during 2019. After collapsing during the pandemic, arrivals recovered to 95,311 visitors in 2023, signalling the gradual re…
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