Iraqi-Chinese relations and the post-establishment of the 2015 Strategic Partnership

by **Rocky** Mon 27 Aug 2018, 2:03 am

Rocky: Admin Assist; Posts : 277233
Join date : 2012-12-21

Post n°1

Iraqi-Chinese relations and the post-establishment of the 2015 Strategic Partnership

by Rocky Mon 27 Aug 2018, 2:03 am

Iraqi-Chinese relations and the post-establishment of the 2015 Strategic Partnership

27/8/2018 12:00 am

[rtl]First Secretary / Dr. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Iraq
in general means the strategic direction of these guidelines and the objectives and plans to be implemented in order to achieve the highest interests and requirements of Iraqi national security for the next phase, which is set time ranges ranging between 3 - 10 Years according to the strategic perspective.
The Iraqi foreign policy, including diplomacy in the past few years, is a counterterrorism diplomacy, that is, it has moved regionally, internationally and at the bilateral and multilateral levels to mobilize the material support of Iraq to fight terrorism and fight terrorist organizations under the pretext that Iraq is fighting terrorism on behalf of the world. This diplomacy has achieved its goal and reached the stage of ending the fighting and urging the start of a new phase based on the strategic orientation of sustainable development diplomacy for the post-liberation areas controlled by terrorism in Iraq N for the reconstruction of the affected areas and most importantly the foundations for national security and sustainable.
Iraqi-Chinese relations
China has a long history and civilization rooted in the depths of history, which dates back more than six thousand years BC, as this civilization provided mankind with achievements such as compass, gunpowder and others, as is the case with the Iraqi civilization, which dates back to about 7,000 years BC, The ancient first democracies and the world through which the writing, science and arts, the two countries of the Great Wall of China and Mesopotamia provided a human and human heritage worldwide will undoubtedly extend beyond the future.
Mesopotamia and China date back more than 2,000 years. The ancient Silk Road, the route that begins from China to cross the mountains, plains and valleys to reach Khorasan and then to Iraq, is the most important route for convoys to Europe and North Africa.
The Silk Road flourished after the days of the Islamic state, especially when Baghdad was the capital of the Abbasid state. It represented the city of science, art, commerce and architectural beauty. Its reputation as a source of inspiration, light and the heart of the pulsating world and the link between the world of East and West. And fruitful all the meaning of the word meaning that the threads of this relationship has been woven by trade and the desire to exchange goods and interests and thus both sides knew each other and civilized dialogue.
As for contemporary history, the relations between Iraq and China began at the end of the 1950s. On 16/7/1958, the official relations were established. The Chinese government then sent a telegram to its Iraqi counterpart, which has ascended to power in Iraq, to recognize it. China's strategic, political and historical necessity for Iraq's strategic geopolitical status in the region and its role in establishing the United Nations and the League of Arab States. It is not surprising when the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong mentioned the important role of developing and Arab countries in supporting the People's Republic of China, "The developing countries have put us on the shoulders of the United Nations."
Diplomatic relations between Iraq and China were established on 25/8/1958. It is the same day and month that we celebrate this year for sixty years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between these two ancient countries. Both sides exchanged ambassadors officially in 1960 and since then the two countries have exchanged contacts, Trade, economy, culture, sports and other fields. This cooperation continued during the 1980s, especially in the military field due to the circumstances of that decade.
In the last decade of the twentieth century, China had special positions with the beginning of the second Gulf crisis and the invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein on August 2, 1990. China abstained from voting on UN Resolution 678. The Chinese government believed that peaceful solutions should be adopted in resolving the crisis. Was mainly due to the Chinese decision maker's understanding of the importance of establishing balanced relations between Iraq on the one hand and the United States of America on the other
On the other hand .
After 2003, China recognized the support of the Iraqi government. China welcomed the formation of the Iraqi Governing Council since its announcement. It supported Iraq's efforts to restore public order and the Iraqi people exercise their rights, protect their independence and sovereignty and preserve their territorial integrity.
In recognition of the importance of strengthening bilateral relations, the two sides resolved to exchange high-level visits. The visit of the late Iraqi President Jalal Talabani (then member of the Governing Council) to China
Which was the first seed to build relations with China in the post-2003 period. The Chinese government stressed the importance of the reconstruction of Iraq. After this visit, high-level visits between Beijing and Baghdad followed. The late president repeated his visit again. To China in 2007, which was the signing of several agreements and memorandums of understanding and most importantly signing the agreement to cancel the debts of Iraq.
Among the important stations of relations between Iraq and China is the visit of former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in mid-2011 and then the visits of the ministers of foreign affairs, oil, reconstruction and housing, as well as visit various delegations of Iraqi political and cultural parties.
In mid-2015, the visit of Dr. Ibrahim al-Ashikar al-Jaafari, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to the People's Republic of China and to meet with his Chinese counterpart to discuss ways to develop relations and improve and win the support of friends after the gangs took control of the terrorist on the city of Mosul. This important visit paved the way for the visit of the Prime Minister Dr. Haider al-Abadi, the end of 2015, which is the most important station in the history of Iraqi-Chinese relations as relations have risen from the traditional to the strategic.
On the Beijing side, several senior Chinese officials visited Baghdad. The most important visit was the visit of former Deputy Foreign Minister Zhai Jun in 2011, followed by the visit of Wang Yi, the current Chinese Foreign Minister in 2014, as well as the visit of Mr. Yang Jiechi, The Chinese state by the end of 2014 and the visit of the Chinese envoy on the Middle East issue in 2016.
As for the achievements of the post-2003 period of Iraqi-Chinese relations, they were mainly represented in the increase in the volume of trade exchanges from 500 million dollars in 2004 to 22 billion dollars in 2017. Thus, China is the first trading partner of Iraq, As well as progress in other areas of relations. Several strategic agreements and memorandums of understanding have been signed in the fields of oil, energy, education, culture, sports and reconstruction of infrastructure, which were the natural result of the meetings of the Iraqi Commission - Chinese joint during 2007 and 2016, and actually entered the Chinese companies strongly to Iraq by the end of 2017, amounting to more than 45 companies operating in most sectors, especially the strategic sectors of them.
During the visit of the Prime Minister in 2015, as mentioned above, the establishment of the strategic partnership between Iraq and China and the signing of an agreement and several memorandums of understanding, the most important of which was Iraq's participation in pushing forward the construction of the Silk Road Economic Initiative, was announced. And won the support of the most important partners of global strategists on the one hand, and the real confrontation to challenge the control of gangs and advocates of terrorism in light of the decline in oil prices globally, creating a real financial crisis on the other hand, but Iraq and his government and thanks to his sons of the armed forces and The popular crowd, the clans and the peshmerga, and the constant assertion that Iraq is fighting terrorism on behalf of the world, has been achieved and that these criminal groups are completely eradicated by thought
and behavior.
Therefore, the diplomacy of winning partners and friends has achieved its purpose, especially with the government of the People's Republic of China, providing humanitarian aid estimated at 300 million yuan, equivalent to 50 million dollars in order to reduce the burden on the Iraqi government and continues to provide such
assistance.
After the victory of the Iraqi government in 2017 against the terrorist groups, China, represented by President Xi Jinping, congratulated Iraq and its government on this important victory, which is considered a major achievement in the fight against terrorism in Iraq and the world at large. To the Iraqi government, stressing the importance of the presence of Chinese companies for the comprehensive reconstruction of cities affected by terrorist operations, and strive to find ways to finance Chinese companies through the provision of guarantees by the Chinese government and To prepare for the submission of investment projects worth $ 10 billion, taking into account the location of Iraq and its role in the map of the strategy of the belt and the Chinese way. Relationships in the post-strategic partnership

Despite the visit of the Prime Minister to China in 2015, which is one of the important stations in the history of relations between Iraq and China in terms of signing an agreement and several memorandums of understanding and the Declaration of the strategic partnership, but in the post-2015 bilateral relations were not the level of ambition in the side of visits High level, official exchanges, joint coordination or even agreement on the establishment of strategic projects as stated in the joint declaration of the establishment of the strategic partnership between the two countries only traditional trade exchanges and Chinese support for Iraq and the convening of the Iraqi-China Joint Committee in 2 016.
Therefore, in order to develop the reality of the Iraqi-Chinese relations and their prospects in terms of strategy should be working on the implementation of the terms of the Declaration of the strategic partnership Iraq - China through the establishment of a high-level dialogue mechanism (at the level of Foreign Minister or Undersecretary of the Ministry) called (Iraqi-Iraqi strategic dialogue mechanism) And alternately to reflect the strategic partnership into reality.
What is the strategic dialogue?
The dialogue is a high-level dialogue to discuss a wide range of political, strategic, security, economic, bilateral, regional and global issues in the near, medium and long term. Dialogue is a mechanism represented by high-level representatives who meet annually and the dialogue is a great historic opportunity and a strategy for comprehensive and comprehensive communication and cooperation. Reaching the stage of strategic cooperation between the two countries, which means building mutual strategic trust through many channels of exchange and institutionalizing bilateral relations. Therefore, the rationale for the strategic dialogue lies in its importance in terms of planning for the future and the development of the mechanisms that mated between the Iraqi strategy based on the need for comprehensive reconstruction and the various Chinese strategies for the
next phase . The importance of Iraqi-Iraqi strategic dialogue mechanism

In order to assess the pattern and nature of the Iraqi-Chinese relations, the strategic and economic paths between the two countries should be revealed. The strategic path means summarizing the positions, visions, efforts and strategies of both countries on the local, regional and international issues and crises and thus developing effective solutions through matching plans and strategies, Thus, the process of assessing the pattern, nature and size of the bilateral relations in the post-2015 period (the declaration of the strategic partnership) indicates that the cooperation between the two countries was not at the required level as agreed upon during the visit in 2015, The strategic dialogue between Iraq and China alternately means that the bilateral relations between the two countries will witness more understandings and agreements strategically, politically, economically and security. The chart below shows the level of participation in the proposed Iraq-China strategic dialogue mechanism (at ministerial level)

The following chart shows the level of participation
in the proposed Iraqi-Chinese strategic dialogue mechanism (at the level of undersecretary).
Areas of Dialogue and Levels Bilateral Relations Regional Affairs International Affairs First: Political Affairs:  • Discussion of China's Belt Strategy and Road. • Mutual support. • High-level exchanges and visits. • Agreements and memorandums of understanding. • Syrian crisis . • The Yemeni crisis. • The Iranian nuclear file. • The Palestinian cause . • Turkish intervention in Iraq. • The South China Sea issue. • Non-proliferation. • Combating terrorism and extremism. • Transnational crime. • Combating drugs and human trafficking.[/rtl]

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[/rtl]

by **Rocky** Mon 27 Aug 2018, 2:06 am

Rocky

Rocky: Admin Assist; Posts : 277233
Join date : 2012-12-21

Post n°2

Iraqi-Chinese relations since 1949

by Rocky Mon 27 Aug 2018, 2:06 am

Iraqi-Chinese relations since 1949

27/8/2018 12:00 am

[rtl]Prepared by Amjad Hamed Al Masoudi

China's emergence as a superpower in a changing global environment is largely due to its transition from a relatively isolated state to an economically active country within its regional and international context.
The results of technological developments and the expansion of trade ties with various countries of the world have contributed significantly to the growing importance of China globally.
However, China's continued transition from an economically isolated country to a technologically advanced and politically important superpower is closely linked to its access to
energy resources  .
It is estimated that China's demand for oil will rise by 10 million barrels per day by 2030 to meet its energy needs if China wants to continue on its path towards
global reach  .
Iraq, a major source of oil reserves in the world (estimated at 112.5 billion barrels, about 11 percent of the world's total, the world's second-largest oil reserves), appeared in the new millennium as a key player in China's most important foreign policy priorities. .
The two countries signed a number of important agreements in the areas of trade, communications, reconstruction and oil refineries. In 2015, the two countries signed a strategic partnership agreement, which is an important turning point in the history of relations between the two countries.
This research will address the importance of the impact of the shift in the balance of power of both China and Iraq on the nature of relations between the two countries during the period from 1949 to 2016, China, which moved from being a semi-isolated state within its regional framework to one of the most important and dominant countries in the international system and I returned as a global power, and Iraq, transformed from a force of regional influence and influence to a country suffering from political, economic and social upheavals as a result of wars and crises
.
Therefore, the research will include three stages of transition in the Iraqi-Chinese relations and the most important opportunities and challenges facing those relations between the two countries.
The first phase begins with the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949 and the transition of the government in Iraq from the monarchy to the republic in 1958 until 1978. The second stage extends from 1979, the period of China's economic reforms and the beginning of China's opening to the world. And the economic blockade imposed by the United Nations until 2002, the last phase has been since the Iraq war in 2003, as the relations between the two countries at this stage has developed markedly on all levels of political, economic, And military.
Since the development and success of the relations between the two countries emerged after 2003, this research after reviewing the stages of these relations will touch on some details of the development of trade relations and bilateral cooperation between the two countries, especially in the oil sector, after 2003.

The first phase of the founding of relations (1949-1978):
China began its first steps by consolidating the foundations of the state and its people with the establishment of the People's Republic of China PRC in 1949.
The history of the founding of the People's Republic of China The establishment of relations with the countries of the Middle East and North Africa, where China officially established these relations after the Bandung Conference in April 1955.
The first years of the establishment of relations between Iraq and China have been divided in ideological thinking, China was following the approach of communist ideas, while Iraq and the Charter Baghdad had joined the The Western alliance of the anti-Communist , which was led by the United States.
Later, however, with the strained relations between China and the former Soviet Union and the military coup in Iraq led by Abdul Karim Qasim in 1958, which resulted in a change of regime in Iraq from the monarchy to a republican regime, relations between China and Iraq began to improve But has not yet reached the good level.
China began to establish formal diplomatic relations with Iraq after the July 14, 1958, revolution that toppled the monarchy in Iraq. Shortly before that history, China viewed Baghdad as the "cradle of new colonialism" as the central nucleus of the Baghdad Alliance, founded in 1955 Which was working to prevent the spread of communism led by the Soviet alliance.
The emergence of the Communist Party in Iraq in the first two years after the revolution by Abdul Karim Qasim in 1958 was a source of inspiration and optimism for both the Soviet Union and China.
All the kingdoms in the region were against communism, and the so-called progressive regimes such as the United Arab Republic (created as a result of the union between Egypt and Syria) under the leadership of Gamal Abdel Nasser were persecuting their communists in both countries.
At the beginning of the 1960s, there was some change: the Iraqi communists seemed less powerful and less powerful. Thus, President Kareem Kassem's declaration in 1961 that Kuwait should return to Iraq after the withdrawal of British troops from Kuwait.
These changes marked the beginning of China's first steps to deal with its doubts about its allies and instability in the region.
After some shaky steps towards the region, China became the first communist country to recognize Kuwait since its independence, but it fell into a dilemma: the Arab friend of China, Iraq, was threatening military action against Kuwait, the newly independent country.
Despite the fact that Abdul Karim Qasim never went to carry out his threats to occupy Kuwait.
However, China has been strongly opposed to any new British military presence in Kuwait to thwart Iraqi threats.
The Baath Party took power in Iraq for the first time in February 1963, and immediately launched arrests and genocide against its communists.
The Chinese leadership realized that the Baath takeover was an "inspired and supported coup by the CIA." China strongly criticized the new regime for suppressing and persecuting "national and anti-imperialist forces".
Iraq became the scene of the Sino-Soviet circle of controversy. After the overthrow of the Baath regime in November 1963, China recognized the new Iraqi government.
As relations between the two countries began to improve, China supported the arrest of the pro-Soviet local leader in Baghdad and claimed he was responsible for "killing many rebels."
The move angered the Soviet leadership, which accused China of "trying to spread discontent among the revolutionary movements and trying to consolidate its influence in Iraq."
The pre-1967 and post-1967 stages brought new changes. Three of the allies and friends of China (Egypt, Syria and Iraq) were defeated in the war, prompting the three countries to lean more toward the Soviet Union. (China and the Soviet Union) at its summit.
China benefited from the panic among Arab leaders as a result of Soviet consensual diplomacy toward the United States, and as a result of the poor performance of Soviet military equipment during the war.
Therefore, the Chinese leadership increased its support for revolutionary movements such as its support for the Palestine Liberation Organization, and stressed the need for the Arabs to liberate their lands from occupation.
The resurgence of the Baath Party in 1968 (which lasted 35 years until the occupation of Iraq in 2003) led to a new era of relations between the two countries.
As oil prices quadrupled before the 1973 war, Iraq's economy expanded dramatically and Iraq became an influential country in the region.
But the Soviet Union was unhappy with Saddam Hussein's rule of Iraq. They thought that Iraq had deviated politically from France and the rest of the western camp during the 1970s. What was more threatening to the Soviet Union was the strengthening of economic relations between Iraq and China.
The events coincided with the death of Mao Zedong and the rise of leader Deng Xiaoping to power as economic modernization became the focus of China's domestic and foreign policy.
The 1970s witnessed changes in Chinese politics. The most important of these was the economic and political interests of China over the ideological ideas that China had adopted during the previous periods. It turned from supporting the model of revolutionary movements to the emphasis on its relations with the legitimate governments of those countries. To open up and play wider international roles within diplomatic bases. - Phase II (the transition phase in the balance of power of both countries (1979-2002): The impact of China's economic reforms, which began in 1978, began to appear on the shape of relations between Iraq and China, characterized by pragmatism.

This was evident during the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988) when China provided arms to both sides of the conflict (Iraq and Iran) without harming its relationship with either. China was neutral to the conflict between the two countries and urged both sides to resolve disputes peacefully.
However, as the arms race in both countries increased, China decided to enter that lucrative market, where it began to sell arms to both sides.
China supplied Iraq with tanks, artillery and anti-ship missiles, estimated at $ 2.8 million for the period 1984-1988.
On the other hand, Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 posed a greater dilemma for the Chinese.
Once again, China's first reaction to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait was to maintain neutrality and insist that Arab states must solve their own problems and rejected US efforts to form an international coalition to liberate Kuwait.
However, after strong pressure from the United States and its promises to China with large economic loans, China abstained from vetoing two UN resolutions on Iraq: Resolution 660 calling for Iraq's immediate and unconditional withdrawal of its military forces from Kuwait, 661, leading to an economic embargo on Iraq.
Three weeks after Iraq's occupation of Kuwait, China's foreign policy stance was as follows: Opposition to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and Iraq's call for an immediate withdrawal of its troops, while opposing any international intervention resolution to resolve the issue.
China, through its policy on this conflict, has emphasized China's political decision-maker's resolve: on the one hand, it has rejected US-led military intervention in this conflict; on the other hand, it has provided Saudi Arabia with weapons and by abstaining from vetoing UN resolutions, With the West.
At the same time, China maintained its relations and friendships with the Gulf states and other Arab countries that were opposed to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
Moreover, China's policy has contributed to the development of strong economic relations with Kuwait after its liberation.
One of the obstacles that China had to overcome during that period was the evacuation of 5,000 Chinese workers from Kuwait after the invasion. The other challenge that China faced at the time was Iraq's decision to prevent 4,000 Chinese workers from leaving Iraq as part of its policy to prevent the departure of many foreign workers after the invasion to create A pressure paper on their countries.
China criticized US military intervention in Iraq after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. After the invasion, China stressed the need for the United Nations to provide humanitarian aid to Iraq during the economic embargo imposed on Iraq after the liberation of Kuwait.
Iraq was in the period from the beginning of the nineties until the fall of the Baath regime in 2003 under the weight of the economic blockade, which was rejected by China, as the blockade was restricting the establishment of any cooperation or economic relations between the two countries.
As soon as the oil-for-food program was announced in the mid-1990s, it opened the door to some trade relations between the two countries, but on a small scale, in which China was not allowed to export arms to Iraq.
At the end of the twentieth century, China achieved most of its goals in the Middle East. China has been able to establish friendly relations with most Arab countries. Despite the dramatic change in its policy of recognizing Israel, China has been one of the most committed to supporting the PLO.
Although China's relations with Iraq have been hampered by many conflicts in its regional environment, it has succeeded in building strong bridges for the country and its leaders.

- The third stage (the stage of the rapid jump and development of relations between the two countries after 2003):
China began to move through several means, including expressed through continuous official statements of concern about the war on Iraq, calling for peaceful resolution of the issue within the framework of the United Nations, As well as urging Iraq to abide by the resolutions of the UN Security Council.
In November 2002, China voted in favor of UN Security Council Resolution 1441, which authorizes the use of force if Iraq does not comply with a UN resolution calling for the disarmament of Iraq.
On the official level, like France and Russia, China opposed the occupation of Iraq, but took no serious steps to prevent it.
The important change in China's usual way of abstaining from voting on some crucial decisions has been a major concern for some countries after the vote in favor of Resolution 1441.
Based on China's position, the United States rewarded China for supporting the above-mentioned draft resolution, first rewarding it by allowing it to activate the oil agreements concluded by China during Saddam Hussein's reign. Most importantly, China is allowed to participate and to engage strongly in the reconstruction of Iraq in the period Which followed the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime.
There is no doubt that the 2003 Iraq war marked a major turning point in China's international relations.
The Chinese government began to resume its relations with Iraq after 2003 and reopened the Chinese embassy in Baghdad in 2004. Its foreign policy toward Iraq was focused on maintaining Iraq's sovereignty, protecting its independence and territorial integrity, setting a date for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, handing over power to Iraqis , With an interest in participating in the reconstruction of Iraq.
The Iraqi side has been interested in resuming relations with China as an economic country with regional and global importance. Therefore, Iraqi officials have visited Beijing since 2003 to re-activate Sino-Iraqi relations and achieve cooperation in various economic, military and political fields. The Iraq war in 2003 followed several reciprocal visits between the two sides at the highest official levels, the aim of which was to deepen political, economic and military cooperation between the two countries.
The most important of these visits was the visit of the Iraqi Prime Minister (Haider Abadi) in 2015, which led to the establishment of a long-term strategic partnership between the two countries and activating the role of the Joint Economic and Trade Committee. The two parties signed five agreements and memorandums for economic, technological, military, diplomatic, oil and energy cooperation.
Fifteen years after the occupation of Iraq in 2003, China's adventure to shift its priorities has come to fruition as China emerged as one of the main beneficiaries of the US invasion and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
While the occupation of Iraq is seen as one of the great mistakes of the United States, which has killed more than 4,500 US troops, wounded nearly 30,000 others and cost the United States more than $ 1 trillion, the occupation of Iraq is one of China's most important strategic gains. Which succeeded in placing itself in the position of the beneficiary of that occupation.
China condemned the occupation of Iraq, called for the cessation of all military actions and expressed its disapproval of the "flagrant abuse of human rights" by US forces, and called for the need to restore Iraq's sovereignty to its people.
As a result of China's positions of neutrality, opposition to military actions by other countries and respect for sovereignty, as it is considered a middle-income country (as it still considers itself a developing country) and at the same time an economic power that can create dramatic change in development Social and economic development of the various countries of the world. Therefore, China has become the most important player in international politics in general and in the Middle East in particular.
Iraq is one of these countries, which considers China one of the most important partners in the fields of energy and intra-trade, including the arms trade.
China, for its part, finds that Iraq is one of the most important players in its global strategy, especially in terms of its oil potential, which meets China's need to continue economic growth.
Beijing also believes that the stability and prosperity of Iraq is in the interest of the region as a whole and specifically the main economic interests in the Arab world.
Immediately after the war ended in 2003, senior Iraqi leaders and politicians were invited to visit Beijing to discuss relations between the two countries.
By participating in the reconstruction of Iraq after two devastating wars and 13 years of unjust blockade, China realized that this would open doors for China to gain a footing in the country.
As part of these efforts to reestablish the relationship with Iraq, China has relinquished 80 percent of its $ 8.5 billion debt as part of the Paris Club agreement proposed by the United States to topple Iraq's debt.
China's policy on the reconstruction of Iraq has stressed three principles: "independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity".
Even after China became involved in booming economic relations with Iraq, it continued in the post-war period in 2003 by demanding the withdrawal of US-led foreign troops from Iraq and an increase in the role of the United Nations in the country.
To understand how the Chinese foreign policy toward Iraq since the beginning of the twenty - first century have achieved the successes of several different levels, this research will address some of the details of the development of trade relations and bilateral cooperation between the two countries after the year 2003.
- the nature of the evolution - China - Iraq relations after the year 2003 • Relations Toassess the shape and nature of the relations between Iraq and China, it is necessary first to know how trade relations between the two countries developed during the period after the Iraq war in 2003. Trade relations at this stage are the most important aspects of cooperation to develop the relationship between the two countries.

The table below shows a huge increase in China's exports to Iraq in the decade following the war.
Table 1
Annual value of Chinese exports for the period 2003-2013
Year The annual value of Chinese exports
to Iraq in US dollars 2003 55,844,935 2004 148,945,230 2005 390,382,0722006 479,236,822 2007 714,359,081 2008 1,257,305,498 2009 1,826,843,519 2010 3,581,583,986 2011 3,814,459,398 2012 4,862,313,932 2013 6,872,503,447

Source: OEC MIT data, [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Chinese exports have expanded to a wide variety of products that Iraq needs after decades of deprivation.
(Table 2) shows that the value of these exports has changed markedly in terms of the percentage between 2006 and 2013.
Table (2)
Ratio of total Chinese products of total exports China's major exports to Iraq The ratio of total Chinese exports to Iraq (%) 2006 Percentage of total Chinese exports to Iraq (%) 2013 Phones 16.6 * Car parts 15.4 0.9 Cotton clothes 0.9 2.6 Cooling devices 1.3 5.1 Color televisions 2.1

2.3
Tires 0.3 2.3
Source: OEC MIT data, [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
* The most recent available data on phones was 1.8% of China's total exports to Iraq in 2011.
Interestingly, 2) is that China is the main source of all products needed by Iraq, and that Chinese exports are not limited to only a few dozen products, but cover a wide range of exports.
Moreover, those exports have changed dramatically as Iraq's needs change.
For example, during Saddam Hussein's era, mobile phones were a luxury commodity limited to use by government officials only, but after the fall of the regime in 2003, China began to provide large amounts of mobile phones to meet the needs of the Iraqi people.
The public sector in Iraq is still dominated by the largest share of the total employment in the country, and the period after the war in 2003 witnessed a significant increase in the salaries of workers in the public sector, allowing Iraqi families spending on luxury goods such as color television and modern refrigeration devices.
In addition to the products listed in Table (2), Chinese exports have expanded and diversified to include other commodities such as containers, pipes, salons, generators, pumps, etc.
More than 40 goods exported to Iraq, each valued at more than $ 18 million, confirm China's ability to meet the growing demands of Iraq's population of goods
and services.
It is therefore not surprising that in 2011, China was Iraq's second most important trading partner after the EU; 15% of imports came from China, ahead of the United States, which accounted for only 11% of Iraq's total imports.
China has also engaged in construction, road construction, hospitals and housing projects.
Another important era in which China played a dominant role in the cement industry; the China National Materials Group Corporation (QNB) participated in the construction of seven cement factories in Iraq to meet the unstable demand for
cement.
The automobile industry is another aspect of the growing trade between the two countries; the well-known Chinese company, Chery (Chery), a car assembly line and a very large showroom in Iraq.
Telecommunications is another sector where there is a huge demand for this sector; Huawei is a Chinese multinational company for telecommunications services and services, providing training and equipment in Iraq, due to the poor state of communications after decades of
neglect.
Iraq, for its part, has made great efforts to attract foreign investment. For example, 10 years of investment in Iraq were exempted; the companies were given the ability to return their investments and benefits to their countries. China received a special offer that gives it the right to employ foreign workers when
needed.
The volume of trade exchange between Iraq and China increased after 2003, but the volume of this exchange began to accelerate since 2008 after the security stability witnessed in Iraq after 3 years of sectarian war
.
The increase in cooperation between Iraq and China is a sign of growing cooperation. Iraq has become one of China's biggest trade partners and ranked fourth in the list of Arab countries with China. Table (3) the volume of trade exchange between Iraq and China for the period between 2003-2014  (billion) v year total 1. 2003 .56 2. 2004 .74 3. 2005 .82 4. 2006 1.14 5. 2007 1.24 6. 2008 2.57 7. 2009 5,1 8. 2010 9,865 9. 2011 14,268  10. 2012 17,570

[/rtl]

by **Rocky** Mon 27 Aug 2018, 2:06 am

Rocky

Rocky: Admin Assist; Posts : 277233
Join date : 2012-12-21

Post n°3

Re: Iraqi-Chinese relations and the post-establishment of the 2015 Strategic Partnership

by Rocky Mon 27 Aug 2018, 2:06 am

[rtl]
11. 2013 22,180
12. 2014 28,500
Source: Report of the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in the annual Beijing for the year 2013, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce statistics, p . 48
that compared with China 's exports to Iraq with other countries in the world underlines the extent of the importance of the Iraqi market.
In 2013, China's exports to Algeria were at the same level as their exports to Iraq, although China's exports to Algeria have been without any hindrance since the mid-1990s.
As such, in 2010 China's exports to Syria were estimated at only $ 2 billion, and even Egypt, which far outweighs Syria's population, received only 7.7 billion of China's exports.
There is a sharp contrast between China's exports to Iraq and imports from it.
While China's exports to Iraq were highly diversified, Chinese imports from Iraq, which increased significantly in the post-invasion decade (see Figure 3), were limited to oil and gas, with oil accounting for about 98-99% of Iraq's total exports To China since 2009; before that date oil accounted for roughly 95 percent of Iraq's total exports.
Table 3 shows how Iraq became more important to China in the post-2003 period, as it shifted from being just an important trading partner to a major source of energy.
The balance of trade in favor of Iraq, where the value of total Iraqi exports to China during the period of ten years after the war about 48 billion dollars, while the value of Chinese exports to Iraq for the same ten years (2003 - 2013) $ 24 billion.
Thus, Iraq has become an important and essential source of energy for China, allowing Iraq to diversify its imports as it has become more dependent on imported goods.
This expansion comes in the context of China's rapid economic growth in the first decade of the twenty-first century, increasing its demand for energy sources, and its need to find new markets to manage its growing exports.
Thus, trade between China and the Arab countries witnessed a big boom, rising from 36.7 billion dollars in 2004 to 107.4 billion dollars in 2009, although this increase in trade volume is undoubtedly due to the increasing demand for resources energy. Table (4) Iraqi Exports to China (2003 - 2013) Year Annual Value of Iraqi Exports   to China in US Dollars 2003 317,633 2004

283 384 054
2005 369 361 591
2006 585 073 586
2007 684 345 115
2008 1,320,837,692
2009 2,907,673,794
2010 5,578,503,062
2011 9,219,248,694
2012 11,091,157,643
2013 16,086,105,483
Source: ( OEC ) the MIT Data, [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] oil investment and exports to China: In 2006 , the imports China's oil imports do not exceed 1% of its total oil imports; in 2013, China's imports of Iraqi oil increased significantly to 8% of its total oil imports, surpassing Algeria and Iran (China's oil imports accounted for 7.6% of its total imports) And slightly less than Amman (9%).

Saudi Arabia is the most oil-exporting country, with China accounting for about 19% of its oil imports.
This was the result of China's increasing energy demand, with China becoming the world's largest energy consumer in 2013, with its share of consumption for the rest of the world rising to 22.4 percent.
The change in Beijing's focus on the Middle East as an important source of energy began in 1993, when China realized that China's energy output was not enough to meet its growing need as a result of China's massive economic growth during that period.
The absence of China's colonial past in the region has made it easier to enter the region's energy markets.
China's imports of crude oil rose from 8.42 million barrels in 1990 to more than 270 million barrels in 2000. By 2009, China's imports had reached 2 million barrels per day (bpd) .
At present, 50% of China's oil imports come from the Middle East, and about 25% from Africa.
As a result of this increase in dependence on the Middle East, China has tried to avoid stirring up the United States or a direct clash with it regarding their conflict of interest in the Middle East. Said that oil policy is the main concern of Beijing, and that protecting and securing oil supplies to feed the continued growth of its economic growth is the fundamental issue of China's national security priorities
.
Iraq has the fourth largest proven oil reserves in the world, with an estimated 115 billion barrels, so China views Iraq as a "trump card".
Iraq's infrastructure was and still is not in good shape for two destructive wars and a long period of severe sanctions.
What can be seen is that despite the huge US $ 1 trillion investment in Iraq, the Iraqi government prefers to choose China over the United States as a partner to develop its oil fields.
In August 2008, Iraq signed a $ 3 billion agreement with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).
The agreement included providing the Chinese company (CNPC) technical experts, equipment, and personnel to develop the field of Ahdab southeast of Baghdad.
The contract also included the obligation of the Iraqi government to pay CNPC for the services it provided but would not share the benefits of the oil fields.
The contract is 20 years old and the company was the first international oil company to sign a contract with Iraq after the war in 2003. It
was a modified version of the agreement signed under the former regime in 1997 between China and Iraq.
In fact, observers note that the signing of this contract contributed to the development and improvement of the relationship between the two countries since the mid-nineties to the present time.
After the United Nations approved the oil-for-food program directly, China discussed the possibility of obtaining oil exploration contracts. The signing of the 1997 contract came just after the UN program was approved as a reward from Iraq for China's stance against the blockade.
According to the agreement, China decided to invest 1.3 billion US dollars to develop the Ahdab field after the lifting of the embargo on Iraq.
As a result, CNPC has identified its activities to explore oil fields.
The 2008 contract was a boon to Iraq: the two sides agreed to hold the only service under which Iraqi national companies retain all the oil while paying the Chinese company wages. In return, China will receive a service charge of $ 6 per barrel of oil produced in the Ahdab field, Gradually reduced to $ 3 a barrel.
In 2009 CNPC added a new milestone by signing a joint venture with BP to increase the daily production of the Rumaila field by investing $ 300 million to develop the field.
Twenty years later, CNPC owned 37%, BP 38% and Iraq's Southern Oil Company 25%.
A few years later, CNPC and BP raised their ownership cap to 47.6 percent and 46.4 percent, respectively, as Iraq's share was cut to 6 percent.
The Rumaila field is one of the most important fields for the prosperity of the oil horizons in Iraq, as it contains a reserve of 17 billion barrels, and produces about 1.3 to 1.4 million barrels per day - about half of Iraq's estimated output of 3.2 million barrels per day year 2014 ( ).
In 2010, CNPC, in addition to its alliance with several companies such as France's Total, Petronas of Malaysia and the Iraqi Missan Oil Company, signed service contracts for the Halafaya oilfield. CNPC owns the majority (37.5%) and operates as production operator .
The analysis of Iraqi oil contracts showed that Chinese companies are the companies that lead the development of oil fields in Iraq, ports and refining.
With Iraq (the central government only) having a production capacity of 4,025,000 per day, both CNPC and CNOOC are involved in producing 2,365,000 of them, equivalent to 59% of Iraq's total production capacity.
The other foreign company that has an important involvement in the development of Iraqi oil fields is Shell with a production capacity of 750,000 barrels per day, equivalent to 18.5% of the total production.
The rest of the oil contracts between a large group of European and Asian oil companies.
The only US company in Iraq is Exxon Mobil, which has worked in partnership with Petrojina in the West Qurna oil field, which has a production capacity of about half a million barrels a day.
In order not to miss the opportunity in northern Iraq under the control of the Kurdistan government, China was present in the region through the Chinese Petrochemical Company
(SINOPEC) in one of the largest fields, representing 30% of the total production capacity of the Government of Kurdistan, which is estimated at 427,000 million barrels per day.
This means that SINOPEC will face serious obstacles in the development of oil fields in other parts of Iraq, given the central government's commitment not to deal with any international oil company that signs contracts without the approval of the Ministry of Oil in the central government.
However, Chinese companies have protected their interests in all major locations in Iraq through various Chinese companies exploring in different parts of the country.
While China has become more entrenched in Iraq, the question remains whether China will be more involved in the longer term in helping Iraq stabilize the region.
Aside from the political obstacles that could hamper China's investment in Iraq, China faces opportunities and challenges in helping Iraq meet some of the key constraints facing the energy sector.
The most important of these restrictions is the lack of electricity, as the oil and gas sectors rely mainly on electricity while the country is unable to cope with the increase in demand for electricity by the consumer.
In addition to the challenge of the lack of sufficient capacity of warehouses and pipelines conveying after years of neglect passed by the country.
On the economic point of view, Iraq also has its fears as Iraq fears a decline in growth in China, whose results will show a decline in oil imports at a time when oil prices fell below $ 40.
In 2015, for the first time in a decade, Chinese oil companies have not changed the amount of crude oil they buy from Iraq.
The current political obstacles seem more serious and threatening to China's oil interests.
As the so-called "Organization of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant or ISIS," the occupation of the Mosul effect negatively on the quantities of oil produced from the northern fields in Iraq, but did not affect the production of oil fields of southern and export, estimated 95% of total exports Iraq in 2014.
The organization urged the terrorist to steal oil from warehouses and pumping stations, but the attack on Baiji (the largest oil refinery in Iraq) was the biggest blow that caused the cessation of the provision of oil products in Iraq.
CNPC's investments in Iraq have made China the largest investor in the oil industry. In the worst case scenario, if there are more problems in the northern regions, all CNPC investments in the southern regions of Iraq would make them far from the risk of them falling into the hands of terrorist groups in western and northern Iraq.
SINOPEC has withdrawn some of its workers from the northern areas after Daash entered Mosul. However, the official spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced the presence of more than 10,000 Chinese workers working in Chinese companies in Iraq, most of them outside areas of conflict and danger.
China had to evacuate most of its citizens working in Libya after the fall of the regime there, but China is unlikely to do the same with Iraq.
Future prospects for the development of Iraqi-Chinese relations:
As its economic strength and political status rise, China wants to play an important future role at the global level.
In this context, the Middle East is an appropriate opportunity to show its status and role, especially as China has positions and contributions within the framework of the United Nations in the most important issues of the region, especially with regard to Iraq.
China has adopted a strategy to expand its sphere of influence and considered the Middle East an important part of its strategy, even though it does not have geographical borders. However, its weight and weight in international politics dictates China's view of this region in several ways. And then a platform for developing multilateral diplomacy and defusing China's concerns about the energy issue.
China is working to strengthen ties with countries in the region to secure oil supplies, as China's high energy consumption leads to increased dependence on oil in the region.
In addition, the Middle East is one of the most promising markets China can use to manage its products.
China will not hesitate to do its best to secure the sea lanes of China's oil tankers to deliver oil to China and deliver Chinese goods and goods to the Middle East.
Iraq's important position in the Middle East has made it an important place in China's strategy. Therefore, China will continue to move towards Iraq in the medium term if it wants to sustain its economic growth. Iraq, with its oil potential, can provide China with an important entry point for cooperation. Oil is growing year by year, and the active role of Chinese investment in the Iraqi energy sector has helped to restore energy production in the country.
China will set its future directions on Iraq in several points, including: Continuing to strengthen cooperation in the field of energy, and to promote cooperation in the field of military and to provide various expertise in the field of combating terrorism, and facilitate the cooperation opening of the Iraqi military attaché in China in 2013.
As for Iraq, What he wanted to strengthen his relationship with China, he must follow a number of steps that can reach the goal and endeavor, including:
1. To invest his diplomatic and security efforts in order to coordinate with China or to develop a set of security arrangements and exchange experiences and information on the activities of terrorist groups, especially as China is concerned about the possibility of these terrorists moving into its territory.
2. Exploit its relationship with China to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which attaches special importance to security issues through the exchange of information among its members, the establishment of an anti-terrorism center, as well as issues of economic and political cooperation.
3 - Encouraging Chinese companies to contribute in the sectors of construction, infrastructure, electricity, telecommunications and reconstruction to work in Iraq while providing guarantees for these companies to the success of its work.
4 - Encourage China's infrastructure companies and oil industries to invest in the establishment of refineries for oil refining near the oil fields in Iraq.
5 - The possibility of benefiting from the experience of China in addressing the problem of low water levels in the main rivers, and the use of modern technologies in water conservation and the adoption of modern methods in agriculture, as China has a system of agricultural research and development is the largest in the world.
6. Encourage the exchange of official and non-official visits between the two countries in order to deepen mutual understanding on the issues concerning the two countries and exchange views on regional issues to enhance mutual trust between the two parties.
7. To invest its relationship with China to obtain its support in regional and international forums through the adoption of stable and stable mechanisms to strengthen the relations of the two countries on the basis of transparency, equality, respect and mutual benefit.
8 - Encourage China to open a consulate in Basra that can carry out consular services for Chinese companies located in southern Iraq.
9. Enhancing cooperation in cultural fields by increasing the number of scholarships and fellowships for students of both countries.
10. Benefit from China's experience in combating corruption, poverty, social justice and solving the housing crisis.
11. Support the strategic partnership between the two countries agreed in 2015.
12. Exploit China's oil needs in order to obtain regional and international support on various issues. Conclusion: Undoubtedly, the internal and external changes have had a great impact on the nature of the development of Iraqi-Chinese relations since the beginning of the establishment of these relations in 1958 to the present time.  Iraq, a country rich in oil and gas resources, has opened up new opportunities for China to diversify its energy sources and reduce its reliance on Saudi Arabia in the region.

At the same time, Iraq, which has suffered decades of deprivation, blockade, wars and crises, is in desperate need of a great diversity in its imports of cheap goods and services.
These facts have led to the development of parity between the two countries, supported by the historical fact that there is no colonial ambitions of China in the region as a whole since the beginning of the establishment of relations with the countries of the region.
The relations between the two countries are mainly governed by bilateral cooperation and mutual benefit.
The withdrawal of the US military from Iraq in 2011 left a vacuum of force that China used to strengthen its presence in Iraq.
China has sought to build good relations with Iraq in recent years. The marked change in Iraq's needs after the invasion in 2003 and the vacuum left by the US withdrawal from Iraq have led to the strengthening of the relationship between Iraq and
China.
Iraq views China as a positive force that will bring economic prosperity without any major political impact on the country. The Chinese have no inclination to interfere in Iraq's internal politics or to guide how to run its own state institutions.
Another important factor is that the strengthening of relations between the two countries comes from China's desire to take a long-term plan for its investment in the region, and this is a luxury that Western companies can not afford.
Unfortunately for the parties, Iraq has not enjoyed great political stability since its war against Iran until its recent war against Da'ash.
During these decades, Iraq has experienced difficult times of war, economic blockade, sectarian war, fighting terrorism and other crises that have made the situation in Iraq even worse.
A terrorist attack on Mosul and other parts of Iraq in 2014 has further destabilized the country.
Iraq in the period following its war in 2003 was under threat of partition into three regions.
Finally, it is possible to see the impact of economic factors on the relations of cooperation between the two countries; on the part of China, the decline in the level of economic growth will lead to a significant reduction in energy consumption, either by Iraq, the decline in oil prices on world markets have disastrous effects on The country after missing the opportunity of rising oil prices, which lasted several years because of corruption and mismanagement.
However, the relations between the two countries are necessary and important for both countries at various levels, and China is expected to be more present in Iraq at the political and economic level in the coming decades, despite the challenges facing those relations at the moment. Sources:

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BP statistical review 2014, China in 2013, Retrieved from: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] access date: 5 April 2018.
Chaziza, M. (2014). Ten years later: Who won the Iraq war, The US Or China? Middle East Review of International Affairs, 18 (3)
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Saikal, A. (2000). Dimensions of state disruption and international responses. Third World Quarterly, 21 (1),
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Weilie Z., On the strategic relationship between China and the Middle East Islamic countries, in San Degang and Yahya H. Zoubir (2014). Building a new silk road: China and the Middle East in the 21st century. Shanghai: World affairs Press.[/rtl]
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