in fight against terrorism, despite its failure to say whether they would provide military support.

Chun Hua Ling, spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a press conference on the vast majority of ten thousand workers are in safe areas of the country but being evacuated by a small number from unsafe areas.

She added, "We will give full assistance to the evacuation of Chinese companies who are working in more dangerous areas to safe areas." she did not give figures or details about those companies.

She said that the Chinese Embassy in Iraq and embassies in neighboring countries asked for help on the procedures for entry and exit, but gave no details also on the actual number leaving Iraq, according to what Reuters reported , seen by "Shafaq News".

Officials at Petro China, largest investor in the Iraqi oil sector that the company is withdrawing some of its workers from Iraq, but production was not affected after Islamist militants launched an attack in northern Iraq threatens to dismantle the country which is the second-largest oil producer in OPEC.

Hua said that China is deeply concerned by the escalation of violence in Iraq and the progress of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants, which seized control of large areas in the north, with the collapse of the central government forces.

Hua said "terrorism is a common threat facing all countries and the international community shared responsibility to fight it and has an interest in maintaining the security and stability of Iraq and provide assistance and support for rebuilding Iraq and fight terrorism."

China is the largest customer for Iraqi oil , as its own government companies - including Sinopec and CNOOC group – got more than 10 percent of Iraq's oil projects, through contracts and some tenders in 2009.