American Wilson Institute: Iraqi elites trust China more than the United States

Information / translation… A report by the American Wilson Institute, which specializes in political affairs, confirmed, on Saturday, that the Iraqi political elites see China as more reliable than the United States, as Iraq is now considered one of the main recipients of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The report, which was translated by the agency / information /, stated that “Iraq and China are working together to deepen their cooperation after the two sides raised their relationship to the level of strategic partnership in 2015, especially in the energy sector, while Iraq is now one of the main recipients of contracts to build the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative – It is a relatively new development. In 2019, Iraq and China signed an oil-for-construction agreement for a period of 20 years. Former Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi described the agreement as a “quantitative leap” in Sino-Iraqi relations.

He added, “Iraq’s relationship with China is always expressed positively, and Iraqi officials express in their meetings the relationship of the old Silk Road, which was said to link the two sides through the New Silk Road,” noting that “Chinese support for Iraq dates back to the time of the overthrow of the monarchy and the Chinese recognition of the government of Leader Abd al-Karim Qasim, as this is considered to have a special impact on the Iraqi elites, especially the Iraqi leftist factions.

He continued, “China is now one of Iraq’s most important partners in trade, energy and construction. The ‘oil-for-reconstruction’ deal of 2019 that was signed under Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, among other things, reflects the prevailing perception among many developing countries.” That the Chinese experience is a more attractive model for its development than others, as many Iraqi politicians expressed their admiration for the main Chinese facilities and the tremendous development achievements.

The report indicated that “the Chinese experience, unlike the Western model, also provides a psychological sense of comfort and confidence for the Iraqi elites, while the United States still represents a symbol of the country’s invasion and destruction, while many Iraqi political elites accuse the United States of obstructing the reconstruction process in the country.”

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