China says hopes Greece gets out of debt crisis soon

[BEIJING] China said on Tuesday it hopes Greece gets out of its debt crisis at an early date.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said that China has noted the close communication among the relevant parties surrounding the debt crisis in Greece. "From China's standpoint, we hope Greece will get out of the crisis soon so as to enable the stable development of the EU integration process," Mr Lu told a daily news briefing.

Greece took a step back from the brink on Monday by presenting new budget proposals that euro zone leaders welcomed as a basis for a possible agreement to unlock frozen aid and avert a looming default.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang leaves for Europe next week on a trip that will include a China-EU summit in Brussels and a visit to France.

Mr Lu said that Li would have an in-depth exchange of views on issues of mutual interest with European leaders.

When asked whether China would offer Greece emergency loans or buy assets in the event of a default, Mr Lu said he had no information to offer.

Last year, China signalled it would buy bonds when Greece issues debt again, in a show of support for a financially-stricken nation that hopes to become a gateway into Europe for Chinese products.

REUTERS