US report: China’s emergence as a soft power in the Kurdistan Region as the Trump administration’s interest wanes

US report: China’s emergence as a soft power in the Kurdistan Region as the Trump administration’s interest wanes

2025-04-12 07:07

Shafaq News/ The Washington Institute stated that China’s soft power is on the rise in the Kurdistan Region, despite the prevailing belief that the United States will always have priority in political, security, and economic cooperation with the region .

The American report, translated by Shafaq News Agency, indicated that the regional government last year offered foreign consulates in Erbil land to build parks that represent their countries and cultures. It added that China was the only country to accept this offer from the regional government, while the park, which is being built in the “Chinese style,” is expected to open next spring in an upscale area of ​​the city, expressing Chinese culture and development .

The report continued, stating that news of the opening of the new park in Erbil came two weeks after the new Trump administration’s decision to cut funding for US foreign aid and the government agencies that distribute it, highlighting the contrast in soft power approaches used by China and the new Trump administration, even in areas traditionally considered strongholds of US soft power .

The report noted that the US ambassador to Iraq estimated last year that Washington had spent “approximately $3.6 billion in life-saving aid over the past decade,” noting that the United States has provided significant support to the Peshmerga forces, spending millions of dollars monthly on salaries, training, and equipment .

He added that these funds and programs are likely to be severely reduced or completely halted during the Trump administration, due to recent decisions to abolish the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), reduce funding for UN organizations, and end the U.S. military presence in 2026 .

According to the report, Chinese diplomats in the Kurdistan Region feel they have an opportunity to fill the void left by the United States, highlighting small projects as a means of raising their profile. It added that with Beijing demonstrating its willingness to invest and engage, Erbil will be able to capitalize on what is on offer, although the report said that Washington has previously used its influence to block Chinese offers, including persuading the KRG to postpone plans for the $5 billion “Happiness City” project .

A change in Washington’s approach

The report considered that it has become clear that there may be a change in the calculations of the regional government, which has been the focus of active interest from the United States and the West for more than three decades, noting that independent Kurdish institutions developed with Western support in the early 1990s, which created popular support for the West’s military, economic, and cultural presence. It added that there is a long-standing combination of American hard and soft power, and that the Kurdish leadership in Erbil will not easily abandon its most important geopolitical relationship .

But the report cautioned that US messaging, and the clear signal sent by the funding cut, does not build on this history. The report explained that the US Consulate in Erbil’s social media page showed diplomats visiting refugee camps, supporting activists struggling for clean water, and engaging with a new generation of tech entrepreneurs. However, since the Trump administration took office, these social media accounts have shown diplomats spending their days visiting fast-food restaurants, revealing the wide disparity in public diplomacy and the limited perspective of the new US administration on what supports US interests .

cultural exchange

Beijing’s influence is growing steadily, the report said, adding that with its focus on education, culture, and training government employees, and building relationships with local political and financial elites, Beijing is developing a set of soft power tools that are not very different from what the United States has achieved in the past, but are significantly ahead of what Washington could achieve through significant spending cuts .

The report noted that, with the establishment of the Chinese consulate in 2014, one of China’s first major initiatives was the opening of a Chinese language teaching center at Salahaddin University in Erbil in 2017. The center expanded its offerings to young students and adults hoping to study or do business in China .

He continued, saying that Chinese diplomats have shown a historical interest in the classical Kurdish poet Nali, who portrays China as a beautiful, distant, and interesting country, and brings Chinese culture to the famous poet’s hometown of Sulaymaniyah by hosting film festivals and other events .

In addition, China noted that starting next year, it will begin issuing tourist visas in addition to the work visas it currently offers .

party politics

The report stated that, in addition to building government-to-government relations, the Chinese Communist Party is actively working to strengthen relations with Kurdish political parties, citing as an example the recent visit of Kurdish politician Hemin Hawrami, of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, to Chinese Communist Party officials in Anhui Province during a visit to China .

The report continued, stating that while the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) receive the greatest degree of attention, the Chinese Communist Party does not ignore smaller parties or small political cadres, which contrasts with the behavior of the American Democratic and Republican parties, which do not operate in this institutional manner on the international stage .

The report explained that American diplomats occasionally meet with opposition parties, but they act defensively against any notion of close ties to them, taking into consideration the sentiments of the ruling parties and as an expression of respect for the election results. It added that American diplomacy has focused on working with the existing government in the region rather than with political players who may come to power in the future .

In contrast, the report stated that China’s foreign policy does not focus solely on government-to-government relations, but rather uses the Chinese Communist Party as a means of strengthening interparty relations, which the report considered to reflect true power in the Kurdistan Region .

Economic impact and overall impression

The report found that China’s economic power has become abundantly clear in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, which benefits heavily from imports. Markets in the region are filled with Chinese-made goods. While these products once had a reputation for being cheap and of poor quality, this impression has changed with the introduction of new types of Chinese goods into Kurdish markets .

He continued by saying that China’s image is gradually changing, and it is increasingly seen as a destination for wealth, education, and trade .

The report stated that even before the Trump administration, a large percentage of Kurds viewed Chinese foreign aid and economic development efforts more favorably than those of the United States, citing a July 2024 Arab Barometer survey in which a majority of the region’s residents (Dohuk, Erbil, and Sulaymaniyah) (57%) gave China a favorable rating in terms of democracy, slightly behind those who gave the same rating to the United States (64%).

The report considered that there is a balance in Kurdish public opinion, but the Trump administration’s apparent lack of interest in maintaining this soft power may give China the opportunity to gain an advantage in the public eye, both generally and on specific issues, especially in light of the radical changes in American policies .

The report concluded by saying that regarding the Kurdistan Region, there is a prevailing belief that the United States will always have priority in political, security, and economic cooperation. However, if other parties, such as China, are able to use soft power to influence this equation, the cost of maintaining American strategic assets in the region, such as military bases, oil infrastructure, and investment opportunities, may become much higher in the future. It noted that it is clear that China is seeking to fill the void left by the Trump administration, in one way or another, and this may happen in one park after another .

shafaq.com