China continues to play a leading role in the world economy and the China International Import Expo (CIIE) is a landmark initiative for international trade, a Greek official told Xinhua on Saturday on the occasion of the opening of the fifth edition of CIIE in Shanghai.

"For Greek exporters, China's fast-evolving economy remains a key market, and our growing bilateral trade underpins the longstanding commercial relationship between our two countries. That is why Greece and Greek companies have been active participants in the CIIE since its inception," said Marinos Giannopoulos, CEO of Enterprise Greece, the official trade and investment promotion agency of Greece.

Both countries are vested in the global trading system and share a vision of sustainable prosperity for their people and for the world, the official added.

"We have a long history of cooperation from shipping to supply chains, and we in Greece look forward to cultivating the commercial relationship with our Chinese friends even further in the future," he said in a written statement.

The fifth CIIE, which will run until November 10, attracted representatives from 145 countries, regions and international organizations, among them, including more than 280 industry-leading or the world's top 500 companies.