A surprising seven in 10 Greeks have a positive view of China and the Chinese people while almost the same number believe China can help Greece's battered economy grow.

An opinion poll by Public Issue, one of the leading opinion polling companies in Greece for "I Avgi" (The Dawn), a left-wing newspaper, revealed a reservoir of goodwill for China exists among Greeks. It also revealed most Greeks welcome bilateral cooperation with China.

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Apart from 70 percent of Greeks holding a positive opinion about China and the Chinese people, 67 percent see economic cooperation with China as a good opportunity for Greece's growth, said the survey.

A separate poll by the Greek national news agency AMNA showed a high level of Euroskepticism among the Greeks, hardly surprising since most Greeks blame the European Union for the punishing austerity currently gripping Greece. It said only 44 percent of Greeks have a positive opinion of the EU while 72 percent said they'd prefer Greece and other national governments taking back some powers from the EU.

On the other hand, 55 percent of respondents have a positive opinion about the Euro, the common EU currency. Because of this, 56 percent of Greeks said they'd vote for remaining in the Eurozone while 39 percent want Greece to opt out of the common currency.

During the first week of July, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras visited China on an five-day official visit to Beijing and Shanghai to attract Chinese investment. He met with top Chinese officials and business leaders and also visited the Beijing headquarters of technology giant Huawei.

Tsipras invited Huawei to build a research and development center in Athens. For its part, Huawei said it will launch a three-year program to educate Greek students in its advanced technologies.

Tsipras also met with Wang Jianlin, chairman of Wanda Group and the richest man in China. Both men discussed Chinese investments in Greek tourism and boosting the number of Chinese tourists visiting Greece. 

TagsGreece, china, Public Issue, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras