Greece is set to launch on Monday the 22th Posidonia, the world's largest maritime exhibition that will run to June 11, showing the globe a different, more positive image of the country which is under heavy pressure this year due to the economic crisis.

More than 10,000 people, among them representatives of at least 1,850 shipping companies from Greece and other 86 countries, are expected to take part in the event which is hosted at the Athen's old airport by the sea side.

China this year has a strong presence, with giants such as COSCO, according to organizers.

Greek-Chinese shipping relations will be on the centre stage on June 11 during a bilateral business forum organized by the Greek Chinese Chamber of Commerce, which will examine the ties of the two countries in ship building, trading, ship management and the use of Greek ports as transit centres for Chinese firms.

This year's event is the largest in the 44 year long history of the exhibition which is held every two years.

The event sends a positive message of Greece and the Greek shipping industry, which is vital to the country's national economy. Today, Greece controls the largest merchant fleet worldwide (15 percent of the global tonnage), which contributes an annual 13.5 billion euros (16.1 billion U.S. dollars) to the Greek GDP.

Posidonia organizers estimate that the event will give an immediate boost to the Greek tourism industry, amounting to around 50 million euros (59.4 million U.S. dollars). The Greek tourism sector is also very significant for the Greek national economy, but has been hit hard this year due to the economic crisis, strikes and protests that turned violent.

The exhibition is vital both in terms of generating revenues for the local economy and as an image guardian for the country's battered international reputation, said Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Development Georgios Pousseos.

"Every two years Greece becomes the centre of international attention for all the right reasons as Posidonia's appeal in the global shipping industry is unprecedented due to its unique breadth, scope and tremendous commercial potential," said Theodore Vokos, Project Manager of Posidonia.

The landmark NASDAQ tower at New York's Times Square is already displaying the blue and white logo of Posidonia Shipping Exhibition.

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