ABSTRACT
Chapter 9 deals with another developed Western country, Greece. This country has a peripheral position within the European Union and was dramatically affected by the post-2008 economic crisis. China is mainly interested in the transport corridor linking the port of Piraeus with Central Europe and in the political use of Greece as a Trojan horse in the EU. Desperately needed Chinese infrastructure investment and Beijing’s flattery that contrasted starkly with humiliation at the hands of Western creditors have led to the successful socialization of successive governments in Athens. In turn, this allowed for the development of a close partnership that, during the 2015–2019 Syriza government, included a certain degree of political alignment deeply resented in Brussels, Berlin, and Washington. The Type I socialization of the anti-capitalist and initially anti-Chinese Syriza was a remarkable success. However, it was not complete as Prime Minister Tsipras ultimately adopted an ambiguous attitude toward new Chinese investment intended to satisfy his leftist electorate. For its part, the post-2019 pro-business government of Nea Dimokratia is under strong EU and US pressure to limit relations with Beijing. Cooperation may be downscaled and socialization reverted if expected positive socio-economic effects do not become visible in the near future.
