Greece's parliament on approved a 35-year deal with Chinese transport operator Cosco to run facilities at the country's main port of Piraeus, AFP reported.
A draft bill on the concession of container facilities was approved by a 149-131 vote with one absention.
The container terminals at Piraeus and the northern port of Thessaloniki are a top privatisation priority for Greece which seeks to exploit its strategic position at the European Union's gateway and maximise trade proceeds.
The deal with Cosco was signed in November in the presence of Chinese President Hu Jintao.
The Greek merchant marine ministry says the concession of Piraeus' docks II and III will bring a guaranteed premium of US$4.2 billion dollars and boost the port's capacity by 250 percent.
The concession is strongly opposed by the Greek dockers' union, which has organised several strikes against the loss of state control in Piraeus in past months, and staged a demonstration outside the Greek parliament earlier in the week.
A similar plan for Thessaloniki involving the full concession of its container terminal fell through in December after front-running bidder Hutchison Whampoa withdrew its interest.
Both Piraeus and Thessaloniki are currently turning a profit but the funds are insufficient for the "massive" investment needed to fully face up to their regional competitors.
Greece had spent years trying to persuade China of its strategic role as a trade partner, by virtue of its location at the crossroads between Europe and Asia and as a member of the European Union.
A draft bill on the concession of container facilities was approved by a 149-131 vote with one absention.
The container terminals at Piraeus and the northern port of Thessaloniki are a top privatisation priority for Greece which seeks to exploit its strategic position at the European Union's gateway and maximise trade proceeds.
The deal with Cosco was signed in November in the presence of Chinese President Hu Jintao.
The Greek merchant marine ministry says the concession of Piraeus' docks II and III will bring a guaranteed premium of US$4.2 billion dollars and boost the port's capacity by 250 percent.
The concession is strongly opposed by the Greek dockers' union, which has organised several strikes against the loss of state control in Piraeus in past months, and staged a demonstration outside the Greek parliament earlier in the week.
A similar plan for Thessaloniki involving the full concession of its container terminal fell through in December after front-running bidder Hutchison Whampoa withdrew its interest.
Both Piraeus and Thessaloniki are currently turning a profit but the funds are insufficient for the "massive" investment needed to fully face up to their regional competitors.
Greece had spent years trying to persuade China of its strategic role as a trade partner, by virtue of its location at the crossroads between Europe and Asia and as a member of the European Union.