„ერთი სარტყელი, ერთი გზა“ 2026 წელს: კვლავ იზრდება თუ არა ჩინეთ-საბერძნეთის დერეფანი?
შესავალი
Many people thought it was an opportunistic move by China’s COSCO Shipping to buy a majority stake in Greece’s Piraeus Port more than ten years ago, when Greece was in trouble. In 2026, that one deal has become the symbolic center of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Europe. It is a real-life example of how China’s infrastructure diplomacy works.
But the year 2025 got a combination of good and bad grades. On the one hand, BRI’s entire worldwide involvement reached an all-time high of USD 213.5 billion in building contracts and investments, a 19% increase in the number of deals compared to 2024. On the other hand, the Piraeus Container Terminal’s throughput dropped 6% year over year to about 3.98 million TEU. This shows that the corridor is facing genuine challenges, even though it is still strategically important. As we get into 2026, the major question isn’t just whether the China-Greece corridor is still growing. It’s also whether it’s changing in ways that keep it relevant in a world where geopolitics are changing, EU regulations are getting stricter, and other Mediterranean hubs are always trying to outdo it.
This essay looks at the corridor’s current situation with new data, breaks down the problems, and talks about what it all implies for shippers, logistics companies, and anybody else who moves goods between Asia and Europe.
The BRI in 2026: A Record Year With Asterisks
The data from 2025 are very interesting. The Green Finance & Development Center at Fudan University says that since the BRI started in 2013, China has spent a total of USD 1.399 trillion on it. This includes USD 837 billion on building and USD 561 billion on direct investments. The annual total for 2025 was USD 213.5 billion, which was more than any other year. This was mostly due to transactions in Southeast Asia, the Gulf, and Africa for energy, mining, and new technologies.
As of June 2025, the China-Europe Railway Express network connects 128 Chinese cities to 229 cities in 26 European countries. It feeds cargo to and from the maritime corridor. That rail network has grown more and more vital as a backup to sea routes, especially since problems in the Red Sea have made carriers reassess their routing plans for 2024 and 2025.
But the BRI’s overall path in Europe is more problematic. Italy’s official exit in December 2023 was a turning point, and by 2026, the political map had shrunk a lot. Only Greece, Portugal, and Serbia still have big active projects out of the 17 EU member states that formerly signed BRI memoranda of understanding. The EU’s Foreign Direct Investment Screening Regulation, which went into effect in 2019, has virtually stopped new Chinese investments in ports, electricity grids, and telecoms in much of the bloc.
| Metric | 2024 | 2025 | შეცვლა |
| BRI Global Engagement (USD bn) | ~ 179 | 213.5 | +19% (deals) |
| COSCO Ports Total Throughput (TEU) | 144.0m | 153.0m | +6.2% წ.წ |
| Piraeus Container Terminal (TEU) | 4.23m | 3.98m | -6.0% წ.წ |
| Piraeus Port Authority Revenue (€m) | 231 | 250.8 | +8.6% წ.წ |
| China-Europe Railway Express Cities | ~ 120 | 128 (CN) / 229 (EU) | გაფართოვდა |
| Active EU BRI MoU Countries (major) | ~5 | 3 (GR, PT, RS) | ვიწრო |
Table 1: Key BRI and Piraeus Performance Metrics, 2024–2025
Piraeus Port: The Crown Jewel Under Pressure
Piraeus has a special place in the BRI story. It is located at the intersection of Europe, Asia, and Africa, making it the best place for Chinese goods to enter European markets through the Suez Canal. COSCO’s money changed a port that was having trouble into the biggest container hub in the eastern Mediterranean. Chinese businesses have promised to put 350 million euros directly into port infrastructure there by 2026, plus 200 million euros for other projects that are connected to the ports.
The financial statistics for Piraeus Port Authority in 2025 reveal a fascinating story in two parts. PPA made a record €250.8 million in sales, an 8.6% increase from the previous year. Pier I made money for the first time ever. The port’s business model has changed, which is why cruise traffic and non-container activities have both grown. The container terminal run by COSCO Shipping Ports, on the other hand, saw a 6% drop in throughput, going from 4.23 million TEU in 2024 to 3.98 million TEU in 2025.
COSCO said that the drop was mostly due to a drop in demand for transshipment in the Mediterranean, but that explanation is open to question. Tangier Med, Piraeus’s closest competitor in the region, expanded by 8.4% during the same time period, reaching 11.1 million TEU. The distance between the two ports is growing, and shipping companies are starting to see Tangier as the best place to transfer goods from the West Mediterranean. Piraeus is still the most important port in the East Mediterranean and the Aegean feeder network, but it is not the only one that is.
| პორტი | 2025 Throughput (TEU) | თქვენი ცვლილება | ძირითადი როლი |
| Piraeus (COSCO PCT) | 3.98 მილიონი | -6.0% | Eastern Med transhipment & gateway |
| Tangier Med (Morocco) | 11.1 მილიონი | + 8.4% | West Med & Atlantic transhipment |
| ვალენსია (ესპანეთი) | 6.0 მილიონი ფუნტი | +~3% | Southern Europe gateway |
| Algeciras (Spain) | 5.5 მილიონი ფუნტი | სტაბილური | Strait of Gibraltar hub |
Table 2: Mediterranean Container Port Comparison, 2025
The Geopolitical Layer: Why Greece Remains China’s European Anchor
Even while the EU is skeptical of the BRI and China’s broader push for infrastructure, Greece has stuck to its practical approach. Athens has always looked at the Piraeus project from an economic point of view, focusing on jobs, port revenue, and Greek exports to Asian markets. This is different from the strategic-competition frame that is common in Brussels, Berlin, and Washington. That math hasn’t changed much since 2026.
The outside pressure has altered. The EU’s changing rules for foreign direct investment (FDI) and China’s growing calls for “derisking” in important infrastructure mean that any growth of COSCO’s presence in Greece would be subject to far more regulatory scrutiny than it was in 2016, when the concession was extended. Italy’s exit from the BRI, the EU’s Global Gateway mobilizing €300 billion by 2027, and the US actively encouraging European partners to move away from Chinese infrastructure have all changed the political climate on the continent. This has made Greece’s continued work with COSCO more obvious.
But Greece’s locati0n and economy make it hard to just go. Piraeus brings in real money, creates real jobs, and connects real trade. Greek shipowners, who run the world’s biggest commercial fleets, have complicated connections with Chinese shipbuilders and carriers that have lasted for decades. China is still a popular place for ships with Greek flags to go. Political statements alone can’t fix the relationship since it’s so complicated.
For the people in Beijing who planned the BRI, Greece is more than simply a port investment; it’s proof that the idea works. If Piraeus can stay a working, lucrative, and growing part of the marine network, it proves that the whole Mediterranean arc of the plan is a good idea. If they lost it or saw it go down, it would be a big blow to their plans and their image.
Trade Flows: What Is Actually Moving Through the Corridor
The China-Greece corridor is not just one lane; it is a multi-modal system that connects Chinese manufacturing centers to European consumer markets by sea, rail, and road. The main shipping route goes from big Chinese ports like Shanghai, Ningbo, and Qingdao via the Strait of Malacca, across the Indian Ocean, through the Suez Canal, and into Piraeus. From Piraeus, trucks and trains take freight to places in the Balkans, Central Europe, and beyond.
Over the past three years, the kind of goods that have been moving through this corridor have changed a lot. Chinese electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and solar panels — what Beijing calls the “New Three” industries — now represent a growing share of containerized exports to Europe. Shippers are becoming more and more interested in port quality and hinterland connectivity because these items are high-value, time-sensitive, and need to be handled carefully. Piraeus has put money into cold-chain and specialist cargo handling to get this traffic, but the results have been mixed thus far.
Greek agricultural goods, wine, and olive oil migrate to China through the corridor on the way back. However, the amount is still little compared to the flow from Asia to Europe. The corridor’s trade deficit is like the bigger China-Europe dynamic and is still a structural problem.
| სავაჭრო კატეგორია | ნაკადის მიმართულება | 2025 წლის ტენდენცია | ძირითადი პროდუქტები |
| სამომხმარებლო საქონელი | ჩინეთი → ევროპა | სტაბილური ზრდა | Electronics, appliances, textiles |
| EV & green tech | ჩინეთი → ევროპა | სწრაფად მზარდი | EVs, batteries, solar panels |
| სასოფლო-სამეურნეო პროდუქცია | ევროპა → ჩინეთი | Modest, stable | Olive oil, wine, dairy |
| ნედლეულის | Balkans → China | Growing via rail | Minerals, metals |
| Transhipment cargo | Asia → Med feeder ports | Declining at Piraeus | Mixed containers |
Table 3: Key Trade Flows Along the China-Greece Corridor, 2025
Competition and Alternatives: The BRI Is No Longer Alone
Since the BRI started in 2013, one of the biggest changes has been the rise of credible alternatives. The EU’s Global Gateway project has raised real money—€300 billion by 2027—to improve infrastructure around the world in areas including digital technology, climate change, energy, transportation, health, and education. Since 2021, the G7’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment has raised more than $60 billion. By 2027, it hopes to raise $200 billion. Japan’s Quality Infrastructure program has promised more than $300 billion to projects in Asia. These are no longer just ideas on paper; they are now actively fighting for the same host-country governments that the BRI is trying to get.
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which was unveiled during the 2023 G20 summit, suggests a multimodal route that connects Indian ports with Europe through the Gulf and rail links across the Middle East. This route is intended for the Mediterranean. IMEC has had a lot of delays, some of which are because to the current fighting in Gaza. However, it is a direct alternative to the BRI marine route through the Suez Canal and Piraeus. If IMEC ever becomes operational, it might take a lot of cargo away from the China-Greece corridor by giving European ports an alternate Asian source of import demand.
We can’t forget about the competitive dynamic that exists in the Mediterranean itself. Because to Tangier Med’s rapid growth, Valencia’s stable growth, and the Italian Adriatic ports of Trieste and Genoa, which are all getting some EU and private investment, Piraeus has to work harder to get every mainline call it gets. Drewry says that global container throughput growth would drop to only 1.8% in 2026. This means that the market is not developing fast enough to help all ports. There will be more fights for shares.
How Shippers Can Navigate the Corridor in 2026
For importers and exporters transporting goods between China and Europe, the China-Greece corridor is still a good option for routing, but it needs more careful preparation than it did five years ago. With the rerouting of ships through the Red Sea, port congestion patterns have changed. Traffic through the Suez Canal has returned to normal, and Piraeus is still a good choice for goods going to Southeastern and Central Europe because it has shorter transit times.
Shippers should know that the services of carriers who use Piraeus as their main discharge port are always being streamlined. After the establishment of the Gemini Cooperation and other network realignments in 2024–2025, several major alliances have been changing their Asia-Europe threads. It is important checking which mainline routes still stop in Piraeus and which ones may have moved their main Mediterranean stops to other ports.
The good news for shippers is that the competition between Piraeus, Tangier, and other Mediterranean ports has kept freight rates and handling fees very low. The BRI’s initial goal included better rail connections from Piraeus to the Balkans. This has made it a better choice for shipping goods to Serbia, Hungary, and other places.
How Topway Shipping Helps You Move Cargo on the China-Europe Corridor
It’s one thing to understand the big picture of the BRI and the China-Greece corridor. It’s another to actually move goods through it quickly. That’s where skilled logistics partners come in, and Topway Shipping has been doing that since 2010.
Topway Shipping, which is based in Shenzhen and was founded by a team with more than 15 years of experience in international logistics and customs clearance, specializes in full-supply-chain freight solutions and cross-border e-commerce logistics. The team’s roots are in China and the U.S. Transportation is one of the world’s most difficult and complicated trade routes. The same skills, operational discipline, and focus on compliance that make Topway’s U.S. service great also apply to China-Europe routing, including shipments that go through Piraeus and then on to European markets.
Topway ships maritime freight from China to key ports throughout the world, including Mediterranean ports. They offer both full-container-load (FCL) and less-than-container-load (LCL) services. That kind of flexibility is very important for e-commerce companies and mid-sized importers that don’t always have enough goods to fill a container but require a service that is reliable, easy to track, and clears customs at the destination. The company’s full range of services includes first-leg shipping, foreign საწყობი, customs clearance, and last-mile delivery. This means they can handle the whole trip from the factory gate in China to the final consumer in Europe.
When the China-Greece corridor is facing challenges like low throughput at Piraeus and EU regulatory monitoring, it’s not a luxury to have a logistics partner who knows both the Chinese export side and the European import compliance picture. It is necessary for competition. Topway Shipping uses both of these skills on every shipment.
| სამსახურის | აღწერა | Relevant For |
| FCL ოკეანის სატვირთო | Full container loads from China to EU/Med ports | High-volume importers, B2B buyers |
| LCL ოკეანის სატვირთო | Consolidated shipments for smaller cargo volumes | E-commerce, SME importers |
| პირველი ეტაპის ტრანსპორტირება | Factory-to-port in China | All exporters needing inland pickup |
| განბაჟება | Import compliance at destination ports | Piraeus, EU gateway ports |
| საზღვარგარეთული საწყობი | Storage and fulfillment near destination | E-commerce sellers in Europe |
| ბოლო მილის მიწოდება | Door delivery across European markets | DTC brands, e-commerce platforms |
Table 4: Topway Shipping’s Core Services for the China-Europe Corridor
Looking Ahead: Is the Corridor Still Growing?
The honest answer is that it depends on what you mean by growth. In terms of raw container throughput at Piraeus, 2025 was a step back. The corridor is still very important to both Chinese foreign policy and the Greek economy in terms of strategic importance and investment commitment. In terms of trade value, the corridor may be moving less volume but carrying more economic weight per unit, especially if higher-value commodities like EVs and battery systems take the place of lower-value manufactured goods.
The Green Finance & Development Center says that by 2026, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) involvement around the world will be somewhat lower than the record level set in 2025. There will be fewer megadeals, but mining, manufacturing, and green energy will still be quite active. The Piraeus node is likely to focus on improving operational efficiency and growing its role in the Greece hinterland instead of trying to beat competitors like Tangier in terms of raw transhipment volume.
The long-term path depends on a number of things: whether trade relations between the EU and China stabilize or get worse because of Trump’s pressure on the US to work with China; whether the situation in the Red Sea gets better or worse and continues to force route changes; and whether Piraeus can attract the next generation of high-value cargo, especially in the EV and clean-tech supply chains, that is changing trade between Asia and Europe. None of these factors are certain, but they all point to a corridor that is changing, not going away.
დასკვნა
The China-Greece corridor in 2026 is a case of strategic persistence running into operational problems. The BRI has never had more money put into it around the world, but in Europe it has shrunk to just a few committed partners, with Greece at the core. Even though its container volumes went down in 2025 and competition from other ports got stronger, Piraeus is still the most important and real Chinese infrastructure asset in Europe.
Above all, the corridor shows that infrastructure diplomacy is a long-term strategy. It was never thought that COSCO’s investment in Piraeus would pay off in just one quarterly report. It was meant to keep China’s naval presence in the Mediterranean for decades, and it has done just that. Whether the corridor is “still growing” depends on how you look at it: volume, value, strategic reach, or resiliency. On most of those points, the answer is still tentatively yes.
The practical implication for firms that move cargo between China and Europe is simple: the corridor works, is competitive, and is easy to navigate. However, it rewards shippers who engage with logistics partners who know how to deal with its changing dynamics. Companies like Topway Shipping, which has strong relationships to China and can handle international freight and the entire supply chain, are the kinds of partners that can make the difference between a seamless shipping and an expensive surprise.
ხშირად დასმული კითხვები
Q: Is Piraeus still the largest container port in the eastern Mediterranean?
A: Yes. Piraeus is still the biggest container terminal in the eastern Mediterranean, even though its throughput will drop by 6% in 2025 to about 3.98 million TEU. In that sub-region, its closest regional competitors handle a lot less traffic, although Tangier Med has passed it in total Mediterranean transhipment rankings.
Q: Has Greece officially withdrawn from the Belt and Road Initiative?
A: No. Greece still has large BRI assets and an economic ties with COSCO and Chinese investors, but Italy officially left in December 2023. Greece, Portugal, and Serbia are still the key EU BRI partners.
Q: How long does it take to ship from China to Piraeus?
A: The usual time it takes for a ship to go from major Chinese ports (Shanghai, Ningbo, Qingdao) to Piraeus via the Suez Canal is 25 to 35 days, depending on the service, port of origin, and route. Some transit times on Cape of Good Hope reroutings were longer because to problems in the Red Sea in 2024 and 2025. Check with your freight forwarder to make sure the service timetables are still the same.
Q: Can small businesses use the China-Greece shipping corridor?
A: Of course. Businesses of all sizes can use the corridor thanks to LCL (less-than-container-load) consolidation services. Topway Shipping and other logistics companies offer integrated ocean freight from China to European ports. This includes customs clearance and last-mile delivery, which makes it possible for even tiny e-commerce businesses to use their services.
Q: What is the outlook for BRI investment in 2026?
A: Analysts think that Chinese BRI activity in 2026 will be lower than the record level of USD 213.5 billion in 2025. There will be fewer megadeals, but activity will continue in energy, mining, and green technology. The focus is moving to smaller, more strategic initiatives that fit better with the host country and use a mix of funding models.
