President Asif Ali Zardari flies to China on Tuesday seeking economic investment and support for his country as its ties with the United States come under increasing strain. Though the four-day visit is Zardari's first state visit since he assumed office in September, he met US President George W. Bush in New York late last month for the UN General Assembly.
Retired army general Talat Masood told AFP that Zardari was still "learning on the job" and had a difficult diplomatic balancing act to pull off. "Both the US and China have a strong presence in Pakistan and Zardari will seek to ensure that their joint presence is used to find maximum benefit for the country as it faces further difficult times," he said. With Pakistan also feeling the economic pinch - it has been forced to ask its Western backers to stave off bankruptcy - Zardari will be looking for aid and investment in gus talks with President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.
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