The Rafidain Center for Dialogue RCD, in cooporation with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), held a panel discussion on ZOOM platform under the title "Milestones and Prospects of Contemporary Iraqi-Chinese Relations" on Wednesday, February 10, 2021. The panel began with a speech by Dr. Hassan Latif Al-Zubeidi, the Executive Director of RCD, who was pleased to cooperate with the Chinese Institute of Contemporary International Relations in order to enrich dialogues on important topics such as Iraq's relationship with a major emerging country with a lot of capabilities at various levels, particularly the economic and technological one, such as Republic of China. Dr. Hassan referred to developments in relations between the two countries, especially in the last decade of this century, specifically in the economic and diplomatic field. Furthermore, his speech included an important reference to the so-called Sino-Iraqi agreement that took place at the end of November 2019, in addition to referring to Iraq's status within the Chinese initiative (one belt, one road). At the end of his speech, the Executive Director of RCD praised the active role played by China in the global economy, and the extent to which Iraq benefits from this role. The panel discussion included five topics:

Topic I: frameworks of bilateral cooperation between Iraq and China, lectured by Dr. Jian Fangning, Chinese Vice Ambassador to Iraq.

Topic II: the Belt and Road Initiative and the possibility of Iraq benefiting from it and the Iraqi-Chinese agreement, lectured by Prof. Dr. Nabil Al-Ma'orati. A Teacher at Basra University.

Topic III: Iraqi-Chinese relations from a Chinese political point of view, lectured by Niu Xinchun.

Topic IV: Future of Arab-Chinese Relations after the Corona Pandemic, lectured by prof. Majed Mohyi Abdullah Al-Fatlawi, A teacher at the Faculty of Education-University of Babylon.

Topic V: Iraqi-Chinese Relations from a Chinese Economic Point of View, lectured by Dr. Tang Tianbo.

Conclusions

1-      China has procurement and starting bases with the Arab world that are driving the development of relations between them, such as the common cultural heritage as eastern civilizations, and mutual political needs such as the search for a missing historical role, and the existence of challenges for both parties that are almost similar in addition to other things.

2-      What distinguishes China from other major powers, particularly the Western ones, is that China has not been involved in the region's problems such as wars or crises, and has not been a party to them. Moreover, China is seeking to establish stability in the Middle East and to find a peaceful solution to conflicts, in the interest of its prosperity and continued rise.

3-        Although modern Iraqi-Chinese relations began in 1958, when China was the first to support the Republican regime, the remarkable developments in the relationship between the two countries took place in the 21st century, specifically in the second decade of this century, due to the intensification of diplomatic and trade exchange that reached the level of strategic partnership.

4-      China is one of the first countries to quickly provide support to Iraq in the crises that have befallen it, from a security point of view, China helped Iraq in its fight against the terrorist organization ISIS, and at the health level China was the first to provide support after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in Iraq, which included the dispatch of medical equipment and teams. In addition to support in other areas such as technical, technological and other support.

5-      The energy file is the main file in Iraqi-Chinese relations, as Iraq is the third largest oil exporter to China (after Saudi Arabia and Russia), so Iraq is important for China with regard to this file (as well as other files), China continues to invest in this field, as it has important projects and investments in infrastructure such as power plants, exploration, etc.).

6-      The BRI strategy (one belt, one road) is a development strategy to promote trade between Asia, Europe and Africa besides economic and civilizational prosperity, extending from China to the United Kingdom, linking six economic parks, including the establishment of China a large bank in 2014, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank AIIB with a capital of $50 billion by China with 35 countries. Iraq is at the heart of this strategy because of its:

a-       Geopolitical location that connects the continents of the ancient world through the grand port of Al-Faw, which requires two roads, the first is by land for trucks loaded with goods, and the second is railway roads.

b-      A future in energy production because it has hydrocarbon stocks (oil and gas).

c-       A large market for Chinese products.

In addition to other advantages that distinguish Iraq from other countries in the region.

The agreement between Iraq and China at the end of November 2019, which has sparked widespread controversy in various Iraqi circles, and as made available, this agreement , if dealt with seriously- is important for the development of the Iraqi economy, and provides the required funding to achieve a package of strategic projects in Iraq, especially in the field of infrastructure. China deals with Iraq as one independent country, and this is the criterion that it deals with Iraq regarding the common interests of the two countries at various levels: economic, political, diplomatic and other.

Recommendations

1-      China should be clearer regarding its strategy and ambitions in the Middle East in general and Iraq in particular, and the trust of the other party and its dependence on China depends on how clear it is on its orientation towards the region and Iraq.

2-      If Iraq wants to benefit from investment offers from countries in general, and China in particular, it should work to establish political and security stability, and not to split the decision with regard to the approval of the projects of this or that country.

3-      The need to announce all the terms of the agreement between Iraq and China, and to show what the operational mechanisms are? And what is the source of its funding? Leaks from some quarters and government statements are not enough to take a stand on them, as a prelude to strategic projects to which Iraq will be linked.

4-      Iraq, represented by the institutions concerned, should work to balance the US and China in terms of their competition for influence through investment projects and economic and political presence, and work to take advantage of the offers made by them and ensure the interest of Iraq first among all that is offered from these two great countries.

5-      Moreover, Iraq should not rely on a single major country to support strategic projects, and follow the balance in concluding agreements, besides the United States, there is China, Japan, Russia, and other countries with which Iraq can establish cooperation that helps diversify its economic-trade relations.

6-       Joining the initiative (one belt, one road) and the accompanying agreements will help diversify Iraq's foreign trade relations, but Iraq should avoid the negative aspects that may come from this such as:

a-       An increase in Iraq's external indebtedness.

b-      Iraq could be pushed into the arena of the US-China conflict, thus become a region of interferences of the influence of the two countries.

c-       Chinese companies monopolizing most projects in Iraq.

d-      Companies getting profits that exceed the work provided by them.

7-      China should realize that it needs Iraq as Iraq needs it, although there is no geographical proximity between them, Iraq is an extension of China's vicinity, therefore it is part of its geostrategic space, and part of its continued prosperity depends on it.