Beijing signed deals totalling $10.5 billion in new construction contracts in Iraq last year, part of its greater engagement towards the Middle East

Sinopec has operated in the district since 2013. Chinese companies operate in oil fields across Iraq, and China is main market for Iraqi oil

The country needs a total of 8,000 schools "to fill the gap in the education sector", housing ministry official Hassan Mejaham was quoted as saying by the official Iraqi News Agency