COSCO, China's leading shipping giant, successfully won a container operation project for Piraeus port in 2008. Under the terms of the contract, COSCO will manage Pier II and Pier III of Piraeus Container Terminals for 35 years.

The volume of containers that moved through the port between January and April increased by 43 percent compared with the same period last year, in spite of the financial crisis.

Wen noted that Sino-Greek ties were an epitome of the overall relationship between China and the EU.

"It is true that there is competition between China and Europe, but we have far more cooperation than competition," he said.

Europe's investment capital, commodities, technology and patents have found a vast market in China, while European consumers have not only had more choice but cheaper prices, thanks to China's exports, Wen said.

Europe's advanced technology and managerial expertise has helped China upgrade its industries, he noted.

Europe has been China's largest trading partner for six consecutive years, while China has risen to be the EU's second-largest.

Almost 200,000 Chinese students now study in Europe and more than 1 million Chinese tourists visit European countries each year.

The premier said he hopes the EU will recognize China's full market economy status as soon as possible, ease restrictions on the export of high-tech products to China and reject trade protectionism in order to create an environment conducive to the healthy growth of trade.

Greek Prime Minister Papandreou said on Saturday during his meeting with Premier Wen that the EU should indeed acknowledge China's market economy status and that the EU arms sale embargo should be lifted.

Chinese observers said the improvement in the relationship between China and the EU will be crucial in solving long-standing issues mentioned by Wen in his speech.

"It is more of a political issue than a technical one for the EU to recognize China's market economy status," said Feng Zhongping, director of the Institute of European Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

Feng said the EU, the maker of market rules, inevitably worries about competing with China's exports, especially after China gets complete market status. Feng said the speed at which the EU can recognize China's complete market status "also depends on how much the EU thinks its relations with China matters".

Feng was upbeat about Sino-EU relations, which he said "have shown great momentum in their trade ties and cooperation in various areas".

Jin Ling, an expert on EU studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said Sino-European ties were firmly bonded by their economic links and cooperation in such areas as techniques, climate change and energy security.

"Frictions are a result of their deepening bilateral relations," Jin said.

Wen chose Greece as the first stop in his four-nation tour, which will also take him to Belgium, Italy and Turkey.

"China and Greece, which have many things in common in their cultures and economic interests, have lots of pragmatic cooperation," Jin said. "Greece could have a crucial vote in some important issues in the development of Sino-EU relations."

Wen was expected to leave Athens for Brussels on Monday, where he will attend the eighth Asia-Europe Meeting from Oct 4 to Oct 5 and the 13th China-European Union Summit on Oct 6.