Greek port part of BRI success story

Vamvakidis said that out of the 1,900 PCT employees, only a handful are Chinese and the rest are locals. "COSCO has created local jobs and boosted our economy. I am proud to be working for this company," he said.

Piraeus' success is just one example of the immense business potential made possible through the growing trade and connectivity between China and Europe, highlighted by the Belt and Road Initiative, also known as the BRI.

Proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013, the BRI advocates improved connectivity of infrastructure, trade, ideas and knowledge between Europe and Asia.

Frequently cited as the "project of the century", the initiative involves nearly 70 countries and more than 4.8 billion people. It covers economies worth a combined $21 trillion, accounting for 62 percent of global GDP.