China's Integration into the Greek Economy. A Case Study of the Port of Piraeus

Seminar paper from the year 2012 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Region: South East Europe, Balkans, , language: English, abstract: This paper will explore China's integration in the port of Piraeus and aims to answer the question whether it is a curse or blessing for the development of the port of Piraeus and in a broader sense for Greece. The paper will attempt to achieve this by analyzing the two different views and linking them with current debates and prevailing theories in development. The case study of the port of Piraeus can be linked to numerous current development debates and provides an ideal base for examination of a much broader phenomenon: the new global order with an emerging China and a struggling Europe. Is China taking advantage of the economic crisis in Greece? If so, does it matter? There are two different views concerning China's integration in the port of Piraeus: Whilst the port unions accuse the Chinese of bringing third world labor standards to Europe, others state that China's investments create an economic opportunity for a country in crisis.