28 December 2011

Editorial: How Pakistan Kids Itself on China

By Richard Weitz

Pakistani policymakers are wrong if they think Beijing will bankroll a break with Washington. China has no interest in pushing India into U.S. arms. 

China’s senior foreign policymaker, Dai Bingguo, spent the last few days in Islamabad assessing conditions in the country, as well as the state of China-Pakistan relations. He also pledged China’s continued economic and security assistance to Pakistan, misleading some Pakistanis into thinking that Beijing will ride to their rescue. The reality, though, is that the Chinese government has made clear in past crises that, while it seeks close ties with Pakistan, Beijing is unwilling to bankroll a break between Islamabad and Washington.

Read the full story at The Diplomat