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Chinese investment in Iraq provides gains for Baghdad, Beijing

Iraqi prime minister trip to China has paved the ground for China to invest in Iraq.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attends a signature ceremony with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, China September 23, 2019. Lintao Zhang/Pool via REUTERS *** Local Caption *** Li Keqiang; Adil Abdul-Mahdi - RC1DE0BB6230

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi’s visit to China from Sept. 19-23 indicates a consolidation of an increasingly mutually beneficial relationship between the governments in Baghdad and Beijing, which the premier described as a “quantum leap.”

While Iraq seeks to benefit from China’s economic fortitude and crucial reconstruction financing for infrastructure, such investments enable Beijing to increase its influence in the Middle East and beyond while securing access to Iraq’s oil fields.

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