The Chinese diplomats who arrived in Baghdad Monday afternoon to make preparations for the reopening of the Chinese Embassy there will assist Chinese companies in Iraq to conduct business and also safeguard their legitimate interests, said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman in Beijing Thursday.  

Spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said the team of Chinese diplomats is headed by Chinese interim Charge d'Affaires to Iraq Sun Bigan, and is composed of 13 persons.

Upon their arrival in Iraq, they will keep wide contact with various sides, so as to consolidate and develop the traditional friendly relations between Chinese and Iraqi people, Zhang said.

She said currently the security situation of Iraq is unstable, and there are few Chinese companies there. She said China believes that with the improvement of Iraq's security situation, more and more Chinese companies will go there. The Chinese diplomats will assist them in the Iraqi reconstruction work and protect their legitimate interests in Iraq.

(Xinhua News Agency February 20, 2004)