Iraqi education authorities have announced that the latest Chinese-funded school will open in Baghdad, INA reported on January 22.

Beijing, in a significant move to expand its influence in the Middle East following the United States' withdrawal, signed a deal with Iraq to build 1,000 schools. Construction of hundreds have started across the country in a move seen by the West with suspicion. The school building development is part of China's larger push for a more significant role in the region.

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi oversaw the signing of 15 contracts with representatives of the Power Construction Corporation of China and Sino Tech​​.

A statement from the Media Office in the Ministry of Education, said that "a number of model schools included in the Chinese loan project in Najaf Al-Ashraf will be opened at the end of next February.

“The governorate has allocated [40] plots of land as the first phase for the construction of educational projects," it added.

The ministry went on to add the governorates of Iraq are witnessing advanced stages in the completion rates of school buildings since the beginning of 2024. 

The agreements, signed on December 16, will see Power China and Sino Tech construct 679 and 321 schools, respectively, over a two-year period. This initiative is in line with the Iraqi government’s efforts to rebuild the education system after years of conflict.

According to UNICEF, nearly 3.2mn school-aged Iraqi children currently have no access to education​​.

While this project is a critical step towards addressing Iraq's dire need for educational infrastructure, it has also sparked concerns among Iraqis about the potential long-term economic and geopolitical implications.

Some fear that China might exploit this investment to gain a significant foothold in the Iraqi economy.

The deal, which is part of an "oil for reconstruction" programme, involves funding the construction through the proceeds from Iraqi oil sales to China.

This has led to worries about Iraq being saddled with debt and China expanding its market influence at the cost of Iraq's national wealth and resources​​.

Former Iraqi MP Taha al-Lahibi expressed support for the project's educational goals but cautioned against potential exploitation by China.

“There are apprehensions that the contracts may not only strain Iraq's finances but also indirectly support the Iranian economy, considering the involvement of Iranian companies in some of these investment projects​​,” he said previously in December 2023.

By December 1, the Iraqi cabinet secretariat said 30 schools had been finished and that 90 more would be ready before the end of 2023.