VOA标准英语2008年-Beijing Contradicts Baghdad, Says Oil Deal Stil

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. Daniel Schearf reports from Beijing.

China's Foreign Ministry¹ on Thursday said negotiations² with Baghdad to exploit an Iraqi oil field continue.

Iraq's embassy in Beijing last week said Iraqi officials had signed a $3 billion deal with China National Petroleum³ Corporation.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

3 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。