SIMIC

THE Lujiazui Financial City Council in Shanghai and the Association of Banking and Financial Executives of Hellenic Shipping signed a cooperation agreement on shipping finance during an online event held recently, reports Xinhua.
Under the agreement, the two parties will establish a collaborative network to stimulate communication among shipping companies and financial institutions from both international shipping centres.
The signing of the agreement symbolises the lasting collaboration and strong bond between the two maritime centres, said Kostas Katsafados, Greece's deputy minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy.
Huang Hongyuan, representative of the chairman unit of the Lujiazui Financial City and vice president of the Bank of Communications, signed the agreement in China and George Xiradakis, president of the Association of Banking and Financial Executives of Hellenic Shipping, in Greece.
Mr Huang said he was confident that through the agreement the two sides will be able to leverage complementary advantages and those provided by the Belt and Road Initiative to promote the two countries' collaboration in finance, trade and other areas.
He also mentioned the untapped potential in financial cooperation, saying that a China-Greece financial "Silk Road" will underpin the development of the shipping industry on both sides, as Shanghai offers a variety of financial products and services as an international financial hub.