An American report: It seeks to revive the "Belt and Road" ... China is expanding in Iraq

[size=52]An American report: It seeks to revive the "Belt and Road" ... China is expanding in Iraq[/size]

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[size=45]A US report, Friday, shed light on China's efforts to acquire strategic projects in Iraq over the past few years, whether related to the energy sector or infrastructure, to housing projects and others.[/size]
[size=45]According to the American "Al-Hurra" website, these endeavors are considered preliminary steps aimed at strengthening its political and economic influence in this country, in order to enable it to achieve its main goal of reviving the "Belt and Road" project.[/size]
[size=45]And last Tuesday, the Iraqi Oil Ministry announced that the Chinese Sinopec Company had won a deal to develop the Iraqi Mansuriyah gas field near the Iranian border.[/size]
[size=45]Before that, reports spoke of Chinese companies ’intention to buy Exxon Mobil’s oil company’s stake in the giant West Qurna field in Basra.[/size]
[size=45]The "Belt and Road" initiative, announced by China years ago, includes huge global projects embodied in ports, railways and industrial complexes, extending throughout Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Beijing says it will invest trillions of dollars in linking China and Europe via the shortest path.[/size]
[size=45]Iraq, by virtue of its geographical location, is one of the most important incomplete links in this vital project for China, given that the time period for the arrival of Chinese goods to Europe will be reduced by almost half, unless Iraq is included in the project.[/size]
[size=45]"China believes that Iraq is a strategic place that can contribute to the success of its ambitious project on the Silk Road," said former deputy and independent politician from Basra Governorate, Wael Abdul Latif.[/size]
[size=45]And Abdul Latif says, "The Faw port is one of the pillars of this project, as China believes, which has tried by various means to acquire its development projects, because it means that it will own the land transport lines that connect the region with Syria, Turkey, and then Europe."[/size]
[size=45]In the end, China was unable to reach the port of Al-Faw, after the Iraqi government decided to award the project to the South Korean company Daewoo, which had earlier started development work.[/size]
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[size=45]In the opinion of economic analyst Amer Al-Jawahiri, that «the increasing influence of China or not depends mainly on the decision-maker in Iraq».[/size]
[size=45]He adds that only the decision maker can determine that influence, by reaching agreements that prioritize the country's interests.[/size]
[size=45]Abd al-Latif believes that the failure to assign the Faw port project to China was a severe blow to its efforts and the efforts of the Iraqi political forces close to Iran, which were trying to win over Beijing and Tehran through the Faw port project.[/size]
[size=45]Nevertheless, it appears that China has alternative plans to gradually increase its presence in Iraq, as it has done with other countries such as Pakistan and many African countries.[/size]
[size=45]The plan is to win over the people, according to Abdel-Latif, by starting energy, oil and gas projects, and other service projects, in order for it to "penetrate into other areas."[/size]
[size=45]The independent Iraqi politician affirms that "China has established its presence in Iraq through projects in the oil sector. It is also trying to transform the Fao district overlooking the Gulf into a major industrial zone through which it is linked with the countries of the world.[/size]
[size=45]Abdul Latif believes that oil in itself is not the goal of Beijing. Rather, "China has a greater ambition than oil, although it is a very important wealth, but the projects planned in Iraq are much larger, given that oil is expected to run out in the coming years."[/size]
[size=45]And Abdul Latif continues, "China will not leave Iraq, because it had a foothold in it before 2003, through oil projects in the middle of the country, and it currently has several completed projects in Iraq, as it has obtained new projects and aspires for more."[/size]
[size=45]Last December, it was reported that Iraq was preparing to sign a multi-billion dollar deal with the Chinese Zhenhua Oil Company, under which Baghdad would get cash to help it in its financial distress in exchange for long-term oil supplies.[/size]
[size=45]Bloomberg said at the time that the deal is the latest example of China, through commercial companies and state-controlled banks, lending struggling oil producers such as Angola, Venezuela and Ecuador in exchange for repayment in barrels of oil.[/size]
[size=45]Before that, China tried in 2019 to activate a memorandum of understanding signed with the Iraqi government in 2015, within the framework of what was known at the time as the "economic agreement", but the move was met with controversy and wide warnings by experts and observers that the deal could lead to the mortgage of the country's oil. And his economic future is in jeopardy.[/size]
[size=45]Economic analyst Amer Al-Jawahiri believes that it is not shameful for Iraq to open up to China, the United States, South Korea, France, Japan, Germany, the Gulf and even Iran, but on the condition that the main criterion in this is the supreme interest of Iraq.[/size]
[size=45]On September 25, 2019, the government of resigned Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi announced the signing of eight agreements and memoranda of understanding in the fields of infrastructure, communications, industry, security and energy.[/size]
[size=45]The announcement came after a huge Iraqi government delegation visited China headed by Abdul Mahdi, along with ministers, governors and other officials.[/size]
[size=45]But a wide debate arose about this agreement as a result of the ambiguity that marred it and the Iraqi government’s failure to announce its terms or details of the projects that Chinese companies intend to undertake in Iraq.[/size]
[size=45]Doubts about this agreement increased as a result of Iraqi forces close to Iran campaigning on social media and its media channels to promote the importance of the agreement with China and the tremendous positive effects that could be reflected on Iraq if it went ahead with its implementation.[/size]
[size=45]At the time, they talked about huge projects worth about 500 billion, including projects to build millions of housing units, schools, hospitals, highways, strategic factories and others, in return for exporting 100,000 barrels of Iraqi oil per day to China for a period of 20 years.[/size]
[size=45]Also that year, the resigned Iraqi Prime Minister, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, announced from Beijing that his country would join China's massive infrastructure project, known as the "Belt and Road" initiative.[/size]
[size=45]The Chinese "Belt and Road" project has faced several criticisms for its accumulation of debts on poor countries, while it raises concern in Washington, which sees it as an attempt by China to expand its influence.[/size]
[size=45]Along with the United States, India, Japan, Australia and most of Western Europe have voiced skepticism about the plan.[/size]
[size=45]And last February, US President Joe Biden suggested that "democratic" countries launch a competing initiative for the Chinese "Belt and Road" project to invest in infrastructure, at a time when tensions are escalating between the Asian giant and Western countries.[/size]
[size=45]Opponents of the plan, launched six years ago, argue that its goal is to increase Beijing's global influence through vague deals in support of Chinese companies, while burdening the countries concerned with debt and environmental damage.[/size]
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