In this article Mohammad Salami explores the foundations of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq’s (KRI) foreign policy, particularly through its relationship with China. Recently, China has become a major investor in energy, infrastructure, and services in the Kurdistan Region as part of its greater Belt and Road Initiative. However, China maintains an apolitical stance, refraining from formal political recognition or engagement with the KRI due to concerns about separatism and regional sensitivities involving Taiwan, Turkey or Iran. In this context, China attempts to maximise its economic gains in Iraq while the KRI carefully balances its ties between China and the United States, leveraging economic partnerships without political alignment.