"We have had no contact with Baghdad for 15 days," commercial counsellor Hussain R. Sarhan told AFP.

"There is no government. We are waiting for the new change."

The only news that the embassy has had from Iraq is what is being seen on television, he said, including reports on the possible death of President Saddam Hussein.

"We don't know where he is, if he is killed or if he has fled, we know nothing."

Despite a lack of direction from Baghdad, the embassy was operating as usual and relations with the Chinese government were normal, he said, without elaborating.

"We feel devastated about what has been happening in Iraq, as anyone would who has watched his country brutally invaded," Hussain said.

Although Ambassador Talal Al-Khudairi remained in Beijing, other leading Beijing-based Iraqi diplomats had returned to Baghdad several weeks ago, he said.

Chinese staff at the embassy said that no visas to Iraq had been issued since the war started.

An increased security detachment has been patrolling in front of the Iraqi embassy since the US-led war got underway three weeks ago.

SPACE.WIRE