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Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari starts his first visit to China on Tuesday to cement Islamabad's economic and commercial ties with the long-time ally at a time when its relations with the United States are under stress.
Pakistan is a frontline state in the US-led war on terrorism but the relationship has been strained in recent weeks as US forces in Afghanistan carried out a series of cross-border air raids and at least one ground assault on Al Qaida and Taliban targets in Pakistan.
The United States also recently signed a potentially lucrative agreement with India that would allow Pakistan's traditional rival to buy US civil nuclear technology, causing concern in Islamabad, which would like similar treatment.
While Pakistan would continue to act as an ally of the United States, analysts said Zardari's visit to China demonstrates Islamabad's tendency to "look east" when its ties with the West were strained.
"This visit has symbolic as well as practical importance for Pakistan," political and security analyst Hassan Askari Rizvi said.
"The president will try to get economic investment from China and at the same time send a signal that, in addition to the West, Pakistan has friends in other parts of the world as well."
A range of agreements is expected to be signed during the visit.
Masoud Khan, Pakistan's ambassador to China, said the visit, Zardari's first official bilateral trip, was aimed at strengthening strategic, economic and cultural ties between the two nations.
"Leadership on both sides is determined to build on present strength and come up with a road map for their future cooperation."
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