The docking of MV COSCO Sheng Shi—a 5,276-capacity Pure Car Truck Carrier (PCTC)—at the Piraeus car terminal last week was no routine event. Laden with 199 Geely passenger vehicles and 17 electric buses, the ship’s arrival signaled the inauguration of a regular, monthly vehicle shipping route between China and Europe via Greece.
Already under COSCO’s 67% ownership through Piraeus Container Terminal (PCT), Piraeus has long been the “crown jewel” of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Europe. But the launch of this dedicated car shipping service marks a new strategic phase: it transforms Piraeus from a container hub into a crucial artery for Europe’s automotive supply chain.
In doing so, it elevates the port’s status—not just economically, but geopolitically.
COSCO’s calculated play: Shipping cars, projecting power
Through COSCO Shipping Car Carriers, operating a fleet of 13 Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTCs), Beijing is applying an old maritime principle: control the nodes, and you control the network.
By anchoring Piraeus as a critical European transshipment point for vehicles—particularly electric vehicles (EVs), which are pivotal to Europe’s green transition—China is building a maritime bridgehead into Europe’s strategic industries.
For Greece, the calculus seems clear: jobs, investment, prestige. For China, the gains are even greater: economic leverage, political influence, and logistical advantage—without firing a shot.
The Piraeus car terminal’s expansion is not just about boosting local employment or throughput statistics. It represents an entrenchment of Chinese influence in NATO’s southeastern flank—a fact that has not escaped the attention of policymakers in Washington and Brussels.
Washington’s dilemma: Losing the game without playing it
The U.S., wary of China’s creeping dominance over European critical infrastructure, has found itself in an awkward bind. Short of openly pressuring Greece—an ally it cannot afford to alienate—the U.S. has resorted to indirect countermeasures: backing rival ports like Trieste and Barcelona, issuing muted warnings about “strategic vulnerabilities,” and subtly encouraging EU-level scrutiny of Chinese investments.
Yet, logistics is a game of inertia. Once supply chains are established, reversing them is costly and politically complicated.
And as more Chinese electric vehicles (like Geely’s) flow into Europe through Piraeus, COSCO’s grip tightens—not by decree, but by design.
The Greek balancing act: Economic pragmatism meets strategic ambiguity
For Athens, the equation remains: reap the economic benefits today, manage the geopolitical fallout tomorrow. The Greek government portrays the Piraeus development as a purely commercial success story—a pragmatic embrace of globalization.
Su Xudong, CEO of Piraeus Port Authority (OLP), emphasized this in his official statement: “We are particularly pleased to welcome the MV COSCO Sheng Shi to the Piraeus Car Terminal. The launch of this new service is a vote of confidence in the capabilities of our port. Integration into COSCO’s regular service strengthens OLP S.A.’s transshipment capacity and confirms Piraeus’s attractiveness. It is expected to bring multiplier benefits to the Greek economy. Our strategy focuses on further enhancing the Car Terminal through infrastructure investments, automation, and green technologies, solidifying Piraeus as a crucial link in the global supply chain. We remain committed to diversifying services, strengthening international partnerships, and boosting the port’s competitive advantage in strategically important sectors.”
The message is clear: Greece welcomes COSCO’s investment, aims to modernize its port operations, and seeks to position Piraeus at the heart of 21st-century logistics.
What remains unsaid is equally important: how Greece will manage the strategic dependencies that inevitably follow.
Piraeus as a “silent weapon”: Supply chain gravity
China’s maritime strategy thrives on gravity—the simple, almost unavoidable pull of economic efficiency. Once a port becomes central to a supply chain, abandoning it is no easy task.
In this sense, Piraeus is fast becoming a “silent weapon”: not through overt control, but through the sheer logistical pain any alternative would impose on European automakers and supply chains.
Beijing understands this perfectly. As Europe races to decarbonize its transport sector, Chinese EVs will surge into the continent. And unless alternative routes emerge quickly and credibly, much of that flow will pass through Piraeus—deepening China’s logistical entrenchment.
The strategic question: A new reality taking hold
With Piraeus increasingly serving as China’s southern gateway into Europe’s critical industries, a fundamental question emerges: Can Europe—and the United States—still adjust course to reduce reliance on Chinese maritime dominance without triggering severe economic disruption?
If not, COSCO’s latest maneuver is more than an expansion of shipping services—it is a strategic redrawing of Europe’s logistical and geopolitical landscape.
For Greece, the immediate economic rewards are clear. But the long-term strategic costs may prove far harder to manage.
Redrawing the map of power
Every ship that docks at Piraeus today brings more than cargo. It delivers a quiet, cumulative shift in influence—embedding economic gravity, political leverage, and strategic entanglement deeper into Europe’s foundations.
As the MV COSCO Sheng Shi and others follow, the Mediterranean’s role is being redefined—not just as a crossroads of trade, but as a frontline of global competition.