Director of European Studies Center at the Shanghai Academy of Social SciencesWu Yikang discussed the situation in Greece and the eurozone talking to Global Times. As he said, ‘plan B is mainly a bargaining chip… It’s not to seriously request for assistance from the US, Russia and China, but to put pressure on Germany, France and other EU member states’. He also argued: ‘Besides, any aid needs to go through strict procedures with careful consideration of domestic and external issues. Every country will be cautious not only because of the sheer size of the debt, but also aiding Greece cannot exclude dealings with the EU on the whole’. Finally, Wu Yikang concluded: ‘ Although Greece plays an important role in China’s One Belt and One Road strategy, China will consult with Germany, France and other EU countries before providing any financial assistance’ and predicted that ‘Greece is unlikely to withdraw from the EU’.
