On May 23, 2012, Assistant Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu met with Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs Hoshyar Zebari on the sidelines of the dialogue on the Iranian nuclear issue in Baghdad, capital of Iraq.

During the meeting, Ma said that China attaches great importance to relations with Iraq and is willing to make joint efforts with it to further strengthen exchanges at all levels, deepen mutual political trust, promote pragmatic cooperation in various fields and push forward the friendly cooperative relations between the two countries.

Zebari thanked China for its help and support for Iraq's national development and construction. He said that Iraq adheres to the one-China policy and is willing to further develop relations with China. He hoped more Chinese enterprises will invest in Iraq and participate in reconstruction projects there.

Both sides also exchanged views on regional issues of common concern.