China deepens role in Iraq’s telecoms

• Chinese firms have become embedded across Iraq’s telecoms, fibre networks and digital services.
• The cumulative effect of these ties is now prompting renewed scrutiny over dependence, influence and geopolitical risk.

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What happened: China’s long presence in Iraq’s digital infrastructure

China’s role in Iraq’s telecoms sector has expanded steadily over more than two decades, according to a recent report by the Atlantic Council examining Beijing’s digital footprint in the country. Rather than a sudden surge, the research describes a gradual embedding of Chinese companies across telecoms, energy and digital services, shaping Iraq’s connectivity landscape over time.

Chinese vendors first entered Iraq’s telecoms market in the late 1990s. Zhongxing Telecom Corporation (ZTE) arrived in 1999, when Iraq was still under international sanctions, followed shortly by Huawei. Early activity included fibre projects linked to military networks, highlighting how telecoms infrastructure and security have long been intertwined in Iraq.

After the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the US troops, Chinese suppliers became more visible, working through local operators as Iraq rebuilt its networks. Huawei’s partnership with Asiacell, now the country’s largest mobile operator, emerged as particularly influential. By the early 2010s, US officials were already voicing concerns that Chinese vendors dominated large parts of Iraq’s telecoms ecosystem, sometimes through contracts indirectly tied to reconstruction funding.

In more recent years, Chinese involvement has continued to evolve. In mid-2025, Asiacell signed an agreement with China Mobile International to expand enterprise digital services, framed as supporting Iraq’s wider digital transformation. Huawei has also worked closely with Iraq’s communications regulator, providing training programmes focused on cybersecurity and technical skills.

The report also notes a push into emerging technologies. Huawei and Asiacell marked two decades of collaboration in 2023, signalling plans to integrate artificial intelligence into telecom services, which is an attractive proposition for a country seeking rapid modernisation.

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Why it’s important: dependence, security and strategic balance

The Atlantic Council’s analysis does not frame China’s expansion as purely commercial. Instead, it raises questions about the cumulative impact of long-term reliance on Chinese-built digital infrastructure. Telecoms networks increasingly intersect with cybersecurity, defence and intelligence cooperation, areas where dependence can translate into strategic vulnerability.

For Iraq, Chinese firms have often provided affordable solutions when alternatives were scarce, making the relationship economically compelling. Yet heavy reliance on a single external partner could complicate relations with Western allies and constrain policy choices in the future.

What emerges is a picture of incremental influence rather than overt control. Each project may appear benign in isolation, but together they shape Iraq’s digital foundations. Whether Iraq can continue to reap the benefits of Chinese involvement while mitigating long-term risks remains an open and increasingly unavoidable question.

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