When Xi Jinping, the president of China, made an unofficial one-night stopover in August on the island of Rhodes, on his way to Brazil for a summit of leading emerging markets, Greece’s president and premier flew from Athens to make sure his stay went smoothly.

President Karolos Papoulias hosted an informal Saturday lunch at a beachside luxury hotel in Mr Xi’s honour. Prime Minister Antonis Samaras escorted him on a walking tour of the medieval city. Mr Xi openly praised their efforts to shore up the eurozone economy that came closest to imploding in 2011 and he assured them that China saw Greece as a pivotal commercial gateway to southern Europe. There was, he said, an evolving and “comprehensive strategic partnership between our two countries”.

A few years ago, Greece’s economic woes were so stark that even China – eager to expand in pivotal markets – was skittish about its high-risk potential.