Beijing: The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Political Planning Affairs of Iraq, Ambassador Dr. Hisham Al-Alawi, engaged in discussions with Liu Bin, the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters. The meeting focused on enhancing the bilateral relations between Iraq and China, which have evolved to a strategic partnership.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, Dr. Al-Alawi highlighted the significant mutual support between Iraq and China in international forums and noted the substantial trade volume, which reached $55 billion in 2024. This development positions China as Iraq’s largest trading partner, while Iraq ranks as the third-largest exporter of crude oil to China. Dr. Al-Alawi emphasized the necessity of accelerating the implementation of agreements, particularly the credit and financial framework agreement, to leverage Chinese expertise in rebuilding Iraq’s infrastructure.
The discussions also covered strengthening cooperation in nuclear and solar energy sectors, establishing a joint Iraqi-Chinese bank in Baghdad or opening branches of Chinese banks to ease trade exchanges. Dr. Al-Alawi urged the Chinese side to reconsider travel warnings on certain Iraqi provinces to boost Chinese investments and company operations in Iraq.
Proposals for further collaboration included establishing a joint Iraqi-Chinese university to transfer technological expertise, especially in artificial intelligence, and setting up a Chinese electric car factory in Iraq to serve both local and neighboring markets. The two sides also explored the training of Iraqi diplomatic cadres at the Chinese Foreign Affairs University and organizing reciprocal visits between the countries’ Foreign Ministers.
The Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister, Liu Bin, reiterated the importance of the bilateral relations and expressed China’s readiness to support Iraq on various regional and international fronts. He acknowledged Iraq’s leadership role in the Group of 77 and China and showed interest in integrating Iraq’s “Development Road” with China’s “Belt and Road” initiative. Liu Bin encouraged Chinese companies to invest in this project and committed to forwarding Iraqi proposals regarding the university and factories to the relevant Chinese authorities.