With U.S. military aid cut, Pakistan eyes China

A newly-manufactured fighter aircraft - the JF-17 Thunder, jointly built by Pakistan and China, and painted with the Pakistani (R) and Chinese (L) national flags - is shown to press in this March 2007 file photo.

/ AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's increasingly "close and effective defense ties" established with China during the past decade will allow Islamabad to "fill the gap" arising from the prospect of reduced military aid from the United States, a senior Pakistani official said on Sunday after reports emerged of cuts of up to $800 million in U.S. aid.

Amid tense relations with the United States, Pakistan officials have increasingly pointed towards Beijing as the country's natural ally, offering the possibility of becoming at least a half-substitute to ties with the U.S.

On Sunday, The New York Times reported that the Obama administration was suspending and in some cases canceling up to $800 million in annual military aid and equipment to Pakistan - more than one-third of the $2 billion earmarked for security assistance annually to the South Asian country.

The U.S. decision would mark a significant punitive measure by Washington which in the past has sought to build up close ties with Pakistan's armed forces (notably the Army and Air Force) in its campaign to defeat al Qaeda and the Taliban in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region.

But relations have continued to deteriorate since the May 2 raid by U.S. Navy SEALs in which Osama bin Laden was targeted and killed in Pakistan's northern city of Abbottabad.

U.S. officials withheld information from their Pakistani counterparts until after the raid, mainly over concerns that sympathizers of Islamic militants within Pakistan's intelligence and military services would have alerted al Qaeda ahead of the attack.

Stung by the U.S. decision, Pakistan's influential military ordered more than 120 American trainers deployed in the country to leave.

On Sunday, the senior Pakistani official who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity following the Times report said, "This tightening of U.S. military aid was expected. That's where our long-term relations with China will help to meet this gap."

In recent weeks, Pakistani officials have pointed towards China's increasing role in the past decade as its main supplier of military hardware, as Pakistan established closer ties to the U.S. campaign against terror following the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington.

During the past decade, Pakistan began jointly producing the JF-17 Thunder fighter plane with China. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) plans to eventually introduce up to 250 of the JF-17 fighter planes - the largest deployment of any aircraft in its history.

Earlier this year, the Pakistani government also publicly announced its approval for the Pakistan Navy to begin negotiations with China for the purchase of up to six new submarines, in a move that - if successful - will become the largest single hardware order by the Navy.

Western diplomats, however, said that Pakistan's worsening relations with the U.S. will only cause harm to its interests irrespective of the extent of the support that it receives from China.

"The US has a long history of giving economic and military assistance to Pakistan, which by far outpaces China in dollar terms," said one Western diplomat in Islamabad who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity. "Worsening ties with the U.S. could push Pakistan towards isolation.

"I don't think it's wise for Pakistan to be playing down the importance of the U.S. as a partner, just because there have been some defense deals with China," added the diplomat.

[oldman67]

Smart move by Pakistan because the US has Pakistan on their list of conquest.

[billgates0001]

Is this the same plane that was "filmed" destroying the F5 from Top Gun? China is on a build up of their military. If its true that plane was a hoax, it cannot be ignored that every dollar we spend at Wal-Mart will eventually come back and bite us. Its biting our economy, its biting our internet infrastructure and it will bite our military if we lower our guard. (Lower than it is)

[Susan43068]

What is China's official comment on this. You can bet they have better things to do with their time and money than to help crazy terrorist. I have observed that China has little or no input on Middle Eastern affairs as well. My best guess is they want nothing to do with any nation that harbors terrorist. Our relationship with China has been pretty good since Nixon. They sell most of their products to Americans, so get real. This is just Pakistan complaining about funds being cut off.

[karek40]

And why are we continuing to send 1.2 billion???

[Achakzai76]

Err .... lets see, United States is using Pakistani bases for operations, using Pakistani Ports for supplies, using Pakistani transportation for moving their supplies to their pigeon holes in Afghanistan and you're asking, why the $1.2 billion?

Nothing is free my friend, not even for the United States!

[newerdeal]

So, instead of us borrowing the money from big daddy and giving it to Pakistan ?

Let big daddy give it straight to Pakistan ? ? ?

Then our grandkids won't have to pay it back ? ? ?

Sounds like a plan ! ! !

[agnesdeo]

Sounds like international "blackmail". Let China support their poor welfare state of Pakistan. It's leaders are very corrupt and their people are very poor. Maybe China can correct this
so-called nation of Pakistan.

[whoisyourdaddi]

Pakistan just declared itself forming the Axis of Evil along with China and North Korea. These 3 countries has replaced Al Qaida as #1 threat to world peace and stability.

We need to diversy the manufacturing and service supply chains away from China to India, ASEAN, and Africa to strave off their incomes and see how long China can provide these Pakis. I betya China can't stand on their own feet if the western countries and Japan won't do bussiness with China anymore.

[Achakzai76]

Got any idea who Osama Bin Laden used to work for, before he was labelled as a terrorist? The U.S spy agency, the infamous CIA!

Osama Bin Laden is nothing more than a yuppie, who was on CIA's pay role. He ain't a Muslim, he's a guy pretending to be a Muslim. The same retard that your U.S government hired to work in Afghanistan.

Pakistan was a real ally to the United States, when WE were fighting the Soviet Union. Pakistan provided America with bases to operate its U-2 spy planes during the 1980s.

Perhaps your gandpa could verify that for ya.

Today, Pakistan is no longer a U.S ally and why should it be, when America's mentality is to throw money at everything and have their way. It doesn't work like that in the post-cold war world.

You either are loyal ally, or you're just another bully on the block, trying either force someone to do your work or buy them to do it.

America has lost its credentials as a honest power and that's because the American people are ignorant and illiterate to the reality about whom the vote into power in the White House and the Congress.

Today America is an economic depression which it will not ever come out of. Mark my words, the economic golden age for America, has ended permanently.

A Credit Addict nation, who bullies and murders its way around the world will not be fortunate to have true allies nor would it be able to survive for long.

[tmittelstaed]

Sounds good to me we have a lot more in common with India than Pakistan.

[Achakzai76]

Oh yeah ..... that's almost true ..... just give at a decade or two more and America will be exactly where hindustan (india) is today. With 300 million indians below poverty line and 700 million indians without access to basic sanitation (i.e no toilets in their home).

Given the current level of rising unemployment, credit crunch, recession, national debt at $15 trillion ...... Give America another decade or so and it will have a lot of things in common with india!!!!

[UForgotPoland]

Well China shouldn't expect much from this half-assed state known as "Pakistan". I wouldn't be surprised if Pakistan collapses in the next decade.

[Achakzai76]

Funny how everyone says that, but after 3 wars (1949, 1965, 1971) with hindustan, a cold-war fought in Afghanistan against the Soviets and severe economic sanctions .... guess what ..... at 65 years of age, Pakistan still stands, Alhamdolillah!!

The only thing half-assed is your analysis and that's probably because you gotta pea-sized brain.

[lilbear925]

This just means that pretty soon the Pakistanis will all hate the Chinese, too.