Beijing Contradicts Baghdad, Says Oil Deal Still Being Negotiated
中国称与伊拉克石油交易仍在磋商

　　 
China says a multi-billion dollar oil deal with Iraq is still being negotiated. This contradicts reports last week from Iraqi officials, who said the deal had been signed.

中国政府表示，与伊拉克的数十亿美元石油交易还在磋商中，这与上个星期伊拉克官员表示双方已经签定石油协议的有关报导相互矛盾。

China's Foreign Ministry on Thursday said negotiations with Baghdad to exploit an Iraqi oil field continue.

中国外交部星期四表示，与巴格达就合作开发油田的协议还在进行中。

Iraq's embassy in Beijing last week said Iraqi officials had signed a $3 billion deal with China National Petroleum Corporation.

伊拉克驻北京使馆上星期表示，伊拉克官员已经与中国石油天然气集团签署一项三十亿美元的协议。

Iraqi officials in Baghdad later confirmed the reports, but China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Jiang Yu, indicated they were wrong.

巴格达当局官员也证实了相关报导，但是中国外交部发言人姜瑜却说，这些说法是错误的。

She says she has seen some of the reports but, according to her knowledge, the Chinese oil company is right now negotiating on the oil field project with the Iraqis.

“我也看到了一些报导，据我的了解，中方石油企业正在与伊方就有关的油田项目，进行商谈。”

The agreement, if it is confirmed, would be the first oil deal reached when Saddam Hussein was in power to be honored by the current Iraqi government.

这项石油协议，如果确实无误，将是现任伊拉克政府履行前领导人萨达姆任内达成的第一个石油协议。

The deal also would place China's state-owned oil company at the front of a long line of international companies looking to tap Iraq's oil reserves, the third largest in the world.

这项协议也将使中国国营石油企业在众多国际石油公司里拔得头筹，得以在伊拉克这个全球第三大产油国进行开发。

Under the re-negotiated 20-year contract, China is reportedly to be paid for developing the al-Ahdab oil field south of Baghdad.

根据这项重新协议的20年合约，中国将负责开发巴格达南部的艾哈代布油田，并获得经济回报。

The original deal was signed in 1997 and granted China the right to not only explore the field but to share in the profits.

根据1997年签订的原始合约，中国不但取得开发油田的权利，同时还可分享获利。

Cooperation was suspended under United Nations' sanctions against Saddam Hussein's government and the deal was canceled after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

这项合作计划后来因为联合国对伊拉克前领导人萨达姆展开制裁而暂停，并在2003年美军入侵伊拉克时被取消。