Piraeus has been Athens's port since ancient times — the same harbor Themistocles fortified before Salamis. In modern Chinese news, the city appears constantly in coverage of the Belt and Road Initiative (
一带一路): China's COSCO bought a controlling stake in
比雷埃夫斯港 (Port of Piraeus) in 2016, making it a flagship example of Chinese investment in Mediterranean infrastructure. Five characters because the Greek name has many syllables:
比 (Bi-) +
雷 (-rae-) +
埃 (-e-) +
夫 (-f-) +
斯 (-s).
