WASHINGTON: Islamabad has received confirmation from the Biden administration that it does not want Pakistan to choose between the US and China.
In a newspaper interview last month, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar stated that Pakistan already had enough problems and did not need the added stress of a new Cold War between China and the US.
At a news briefing on Tuesday, when asked to comment on the minister’s interview, US State Department spokesman Mathew Miller agreed with the minister’s position, saying: “No, the United States does not ask Pakistan or any other country to choose between the United States and China or to choose between the United States and any other country.”
He continued by saying that the foundation of US-Pakistan relations was “our close people-to-people ties, and we will continue to seek ways to expand our partnership and economic ties.”
State Department says Washington will continue to seek ways to expand partnership with Islamabad
Mr. Miller responded, “Our economic cooperation with Pakistan reflects our vision for the region as one composed of nations that are independent, strong, and prosperous,” since a portion of the question also touched on Pakistan’s current economic situation.
According to him, relations between the United States and those countries are “based on a spirit of respect and partnership.” Prior to calling his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping a dictator at a political event in California late last month, US Vice President Joe Biden conducted Ms. Khar’s interview. Beijing responded to the comment quickly and angrily, claiming that it “seriously contradicts basic facts, seriously violates diplomatic etiquette, and seriously infringes on China’s political dignity.”
Political analysts in Washington warned that Mr. Biden’s comments and Beijing’s response would make it harder for nations like Pakistan to maintain relations with both China and the US as tensions between the US and China grew.
Ms. Khar forewarned that Pakistan would face an unappealingly binary strategic choice in the event of a complete breakup between the US and China. This idea of dividing the world into two blocs poses a serious threat to us. We are extremely concerned about this decoupling, as well as anything that further divides the world, she said. We’ve historically worked closely and cooperatively with the US.We have no intention of leaving that,” she said. “Pakistan also has the reality of being in a close, collaborative mode with China, and until China suddenly came to everyone’s threat perception, that was always the case.”
Recently released classified documents show that Pakistan, and some other nations, have been quietly distancing themselves from the US on key issues like Ukraine.
Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2023