Islamabad's relationship with China and US not the same, says Washington, terms Beijing's investments in Pakistan essential

Washington: The US has appeared unperturbed that its suspension of security aid to Pakistan would bring Islamabad closer to China and insisted that the two relationships are different. [caption id=“attachment_2841722” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational Image. Reuters[/caption] “I believe they (Pakistan) do want to build strong relations with both countries. But what they get from China is not necessarily going to be the same thing to get from the US and vice versa,” a State Department official told reporters. “We (US) don’t have the capacity to direct state banks and state companies to invest $55 billion in Pakistan. But at the same time China does not have the capacity to provide the highest quality military equipment in the world,” the official said. The official was responding to question that the latest American move would push Pakistan towards China. “We have no problem with Pakistan and China’s relationship. China has invested a significant amount and plans to invest significant amount more,” the official said. “Pakistan is in need of economic development and economic growth. In so far as China is able to contribute to that that will contribute to Pakistan’s stability and security and economic well-being. And that’s perfect. That’s totally fine. That’s a good thing,” the official said. Noting that Pakistan and China have had a longstanding and very strong relationship, the official asserted that that relationship has never come at the expense of US-Pakistan ties. “I think Pakistan clearly understands that our relationship and what we bring to the table internationally is different than China. And they shouldn’t want to choose between China and the United States and they do want to build strong relations with both countries,” the State Department official said.