China’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday called for talks between Greece and its creditors to continue, after the country defaulted on a loan with the International Monetary Fund.

The IMF said that Greece had not made its scheduled 1.6 billion euro ($1.8 billion) loan repayment to the fund. As a result, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde will report to the global lender’s board that Greece is “in arrears,” the official euphemism for default.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that China wanted to see a united European Union and a strong euro.

“So we hope that the relevant creditors can keep talking with Greece to try and reach agreement as soon as possible and appropriately resolve the crisis now faced,” Hua told reporters at a regular press briefing.

“From China’s point of view we hope to see that the EU and euro zone can appropriately resolve this issue and Greece can continue to remain in the euro zone. This accords with the interests of all sides. China will continue to play a constructive role in this regard,” Hua said.

China sees Greece as a portal into both Europe and Africa for the distribution of Chinese products. The EU is China’s largest trading partner and China is the EU’s second-largest trading partner.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said during a visit to Brussels this week that China did not want to see Greece leave the euro zone and that China would continue to buy euro zone debt.

In February, Li urged Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to ensure protection of the rights of China’s companies and backing for a port project.

China’s Cosco manages two of the Piraeus port’s cargo piers. Under a privatization scheme last year, it had been shortlisted, along with four other suitors, as a potential buyer of a stake of 67 percent in the port.

Source: Reuters (Reporting by Ben Blanchard, Writing by Michael Martina; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)