Iraq is resumingan existing oil exporting contract with China interrupted by the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. While I’m sure there are some stateside here that would be up in arms over such a deal, especially since we’re there for oil (Sarah Palin’s slip on the issue here, McCain’s slip there). Is this contract a gesture to the Chinese acknowledging their similar need for oil? There’s not much positive to be said in tems of U.S. international relations with the whole Iraq debacle. But at least sharing Iraq’s oil fields with other countries thirsty for oil demonstrates, on some level, that our leaders understand that a healthy, fueled China is a happy China. Something that we can all benefit from.
It’s also interesting to think of this contract resumption as some sort of maneuvering to woo China away from Russia. I’m sure Washington is nervously watching the growing relevance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Russian-Chinese-former Soviet Republic states alliance it creates. So, perhaps this hard fought gift has some ulterior motives when those in Washington try to answer the question, “Who needs the West?”, with this new (well, 5 years old anyway) pan-asia consortium.
