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Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao waved upon his arrival at Chaklala airbase in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Dec. 17, 2010, for a rare visit that focused on expanding trade between the neighbors and longtime allies.

AP Photo

Journal Article - Yale Journal of International Affairs

China and Pakistan: Fair-Weather Friends

| March 2012

Two assumptions dominate current debates on US foreign policy toward Pakistan. First, Pakistan shares a robust "all-weather" friendship with China centered on core national interests. Second, Pakistan's ability to turn to China in times of need insulates it from US pressure and renders hardline US policies counterproductive. Both of these assumptions are mistaken.