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Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian speaking at a press conference in Beijing on April 30, 2024. Photo: Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - China is concerned about the attacks on oil and gas fields in the Kurdistan Region, its foreign ministry told Rudaw on Tuesday, days after a drone strike killed four Yemeni nationals at a key gas field in Sulaimani.
A drone strike on Khor Mor gas field in Sulaimani province, operated by the UAE-based Dana Gas, on Friday, killed four Yemeni nationals and injured eight other employees working to repair a condensate storage tank damaged by a previous attack.
“China expresses concern over the attack on the oil and gas fields in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and extends condolences to the victims,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told Rudaw’s Mahdi Faraj in Beijing.
Khor Mor in Sulaimani’s Chamchamal district frequently comes under attack, reportedly by Iran-affiliated Iraqi militias taking advantage of its strategic and economic importance for the Kurdistan Region, leading to major power disruptions across the Region and hindering expansion projects at the site.
“China is willing to work with Iraq to jointly safeguard the safety of Chinese personnel working on projects in Iraq,” Jian said, as Beijing seeks to expand its presence in the country.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) labeled the drone strike as a “terrorist” attack, demanding the federal government to take action to stop these assaults, and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani later announced that clues have been found that would bring the perpetrators to justice once investigations are complete.
Kurdish and Iraqi officials, as well as international missions, strongly condemned Friday’s attack.
China opened its consulate in Erbil in 2014 and has become one of Iraq’s largest trade partners in the region. Trade between China and Iraq reached around $50 billion last year, according to Shoresh Khalid, Iraq’s ambassador to Beijing.
A drone strike on Khor Mor gas field in Sulaimani province, operated by the UAE-based Dana Gas, on Friday, killed four Yemeni nationals and injured eight other employees working to repair a condensate storage tank damaged by a previous attack.
“China expresses concern over the attack on the oil and gas fields in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and extends condolences to the victims,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told Rudaw’s Mahdi Faraj in Beijing.
Khor Mor in Sulaimani’s Chamchamal district frequently comes under attack, reportedly by Iran-affiliated Iraqi militias taking advantage of its strategic and economic importance for the Kurdistan Region, leading to major power disruptions across the Region and hindering expansion projects at the site.
“China is willing to work with Iraq to jointly safeguard the safety of Chinese personnel working on projects in Iraq,” Jian said, as Beijing seeks to expand its presence in the country.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) labeled the drone strike as a “terrorist” attack, demanding the federal government to take action to stop these assaults, and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani later announced that clues have been found that would bring the perpetrators to justice once investigations are complete.
Kurdish and Iraqi officials, as well as international missions, strongly condemned Friday’s attack.
China opened its consulate in Erbil in 2014 and has become one of Iraq’s largest trade partners in the region. Trade between China and Iraq reached around $50 billion last year, according to Shoresh Khalid, Iraq’s ambassador to Beijing.
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