Iraq looks to China for rail boost

Visiting prime minister seeks expertise to help with infrastructure expansion in war-torn nation

Iraq is eyeing "a huge expansion" of its railway network and Baghdad is contacting leading Chinese companies to carry out the task, visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told China Daily on Wednesday.

In an interview on the second day of his first visit to China since taking office in September last year, al-Abadi also voiced confidence over increasing crude oil exports to China, as Iraq is "hoping to double oil exports in the coming years".