As US aid and influence shrinks in Pakistan, China steps in

WASHINGTON (AP) - Pakistani leaders often talk about their "sweeter than honey" relations with all-weather friend China. There's no romance about their marriage of convenience with America.

As the Trump administration plots its policy toward a key partner, it will find Pakistan being drawn deeper into Beijing's embrace and its promise of $46 billion in energy, infrastructure and industry investments by 2030. The money could transform the Muslim nation's economy.

Washington, by contrast, is losing faith in how much its largesse can influence Pakistan. Frustrated U.S. policymakers see Pakistan as a terrorist haven that some $30 billion in assistance since the 9/11 attacks has failed to fix. But an American retreat could have broad implications for its ability to maintain stability in a regional powder keg of extremism and conflicts.