ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - China’s Consul General to Erbil, Liu Jun, on Sunday said he hopes that the residents of the Kurdistan Region take part in training and study programs in China, as part of broader cooperation on combating desertification and strengthening environmental capacity.
During a seminar held at the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) environment protection and improvement board in Erbil, Jun told Rudaw that China would continue to encourage staff from universities, and non-governmental organizations to participate in training programs in China.
"I believe in this area we have big potential to collaborate. First, I believe we will continue to encourage the people from here—the staff from this organization, and also other academic staff from the universities, from NGOs—to go to China on the training program. So, I wish them to go to China, have a look of what we have achieved in China, then come back to bring what they have learned in China to benefit local community, especially in this area. It's very important,” he said.
Attended by Jun and four Chinese environmental experts who arrived from China, the seminar, titled “Experience Sharing Session on Combating Desertification in China,” focused on sharing China’s experience in addressing desertification and exploring ways to apply those lessons in the Kurdistan Region.
“I believe in this area, we have big potential to collaborate,” Jun said, emphasizing the importance of "capacity building."
In 2024, the University of Sulaimani inaugurated a Chinese research center and library, the first of its kind in the Kurdistan Region, aimed at promoting academic exchange and cultural understanding between China and the Region.
The center includes a library with a collection of books in Chinese, English, and Kurdish, covering a wide range of subjects such as Chinese history, art, culture, traditional medicine, and music.
The initiatives come as cultural, economic and trade relations between the Kurdistan Region and China continue to expand, driven by growing Chinese investment in infrastructure, energy, and manufacturing.
