Piraeus Port Photo: VCG

After newly minted US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle instigated the Greek side to "sell Piraeus Port to counter China's influence," spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy to Greece on Wednesday issued a statement accusing Guilfoyle of violating the basic professional ethics of a diplomat and fully exposing the US' sinister intention to exploit the Piraeus Port and even Greece for its own geopolitical gains. China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to this, the spokesperson said. 

During a media interview, the newly appointed US Ambassador to Greece made unwarranted accusations against China-Greece relations, particularly targeting Chinese enterprises' investment and operation of the Piraeus Port, according to a spokesperson's statement released on WeChat account of the Chinese embassy. 

"These remarks not only maliciously slandered the normal commercial cooperation between China and Greece but also seriously interfered in Greece's internal affairs, reflecting a Cold War mentality and hegemonic logic," the spokesperson said.

China and Greece are good friends who share weal and woe, and good partners of mutual benefit and cooperation. The cooperation between the two countries is based on mutual support, free from geopolitical calculations, neither targeting nor being influenced by a third party, the spokesperson said. 

When Greece faced the debt crisis, China extended a helping hand, helping the Piraeus Port overcome difficulties and develop into a leading major port in the Mediterranean and even Europe. This has created tens of thousands of jobs and brought significant economic benefits to Greece. 

The success of the Piraeus Port project is not only a model of commercial cooperation between China and Greece but also a testament to the solidarity and mutual assistance between the two peoples in times of difficulty. In the future, Chinese enterprises will continue to increase investment and work with the hardworking and wise Greek people to build the Piraeus Port into an even better port, according to the statement. 

The spokesperson added that the Piraeus Port will always belong to the Greek people. It is not a tool for the US to engage in geopolitical confrontation or undermine regional prosperity and stability, nor should it ever become a victim of geopolitics. 

At a time when the Piraeus Port is thriving, the US is inciting Greece to terminate contracts and sell the port, which is a typical case of "judging others by oneself" and imposing one's will on others, the spokesperson said. 

Such actions, driven by ill intentions and a desire to create chaos, are nothing but petty tricks, which will only bring shame upon the US itself and are doomed to fail in front of the Greek people, who possess the wisdom of millennia of civilization. 

"We advise this ambassador to reflect on her past remarks that insulted the Greek people and to focus on actions that align with his role and truly benefit the Greek people," the spokesperson said in the statement. 

In a Fox News broadcast in 2015, Guilfoyle, who co-hosted The Five on this network, said Greeks were "freeloaders" who needed to be punished like an untrained pet, BBC reported. 

"Get up in the morning. Go to work. You guys are retiring too early and that's part of the problem," she said.

Guilfoyle was nominated to be US ambassador to Greece in December 2024 and the US Senate in September 2025 confirmed the nomination after a vote.  



Global Times