Pakistan says wants China to build naval base

Islamabad is trying to deepen ties with Beijing as relations with the United States have come under strain following the killing of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan this month. Many in Washington have called for a review of billions of dollars of US aid to Pakistan after discovering bin Laden had been hiding for years in a Pakistani garrison town. China invested $200 million in the first phase of the construction of the port, which was inaugurated in 2007. The development, 70 km (45 miles) east of the Iranian border and on the doorstep of Gulf shipping lanes, was designed to handle transhipment traffic for the Gulf. Mukhtar said the Chinese government had agreed to take operational control of Gwadar port once a contract with Singapore's PSA International Ltd [PSAIN.UL] expired in around 35 years' time. During Gilani's visit, Mukhtar said China had agreed to speed up the delivery of 50 multi-role combat JF-17 "Thunder" aircraft, each worth up to $25 million. The close ties between China and Pakistan reflect long-standing shared wariness of their common neighbour India and a desire to hedge against US influence across the region.