A recent photo of Shorsh Khalid Said. [Photo by Wang Liuyun]

The Republic of Iraq in the southwest of Asia and the northeast of Arabian Peninsula is located in the Tigris-Euphrates Basin. It is a geographically unique place as it links Europe and North Africa to the west and Central Asia to the east. Historically, it served as the political, economic, and cultural center of the Arab Caliphate and was a shining pearl on the Silk Road.

Iraq and China enjoy long-standing historical communications and well-established friendship. The ancient maritime and land Silk Road routes have witnessed a well-disposed relationship between the two countries that has lasted for over 2,000 years. In 1958, Iraq and China established diplomatic relations. On January 3, 1959, the two countries signed the first trade and payment agreement, enshrining equality, mutual benefit, and fair import and export into the basic principles of bilateral trade exchanges. On May 25, 1960, the two countries renewed the 1960–1961 trade and payment agreement in Beijing, and China began importing crude oil from Iraq thereafter. On October 18, 1961, the two nations renewed the agreement again, under which China would import crude oil, coconut dates and other produce from Iraq. With the normalization of the bilateral economic and trade relations, the trade volume between the two countries increased from 8.5 million U.S dollars in 1961 to 14.7 million dollars in 1962. Afterwards, Iraq-China trade and economic cooperation steadily advanced, notably from 1975 to 2000, and bilateral relations continued to grow in a stable manner.