Pakistan faces more 'difficult choices' after pivot-to-China leak

Discord memo underscores Islamabad's growing frustration with U.S.

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The Discord leaks have thrown a spotlight on the diplomatic positioning of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government between the U.S. and China. (Source photos by AP) 

ADNAN AAMIR, Contributing writer

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan is locked in an intense debate over its future diplomatic direction, after a recent cable leak exposed the government's inclination to go all-in with China.

Experts say Islamabad has grown fed up with a perceived lack of support from the U.S., as the South Asian country wrestles with an economic crisis that has brought it to the brink of debt default. But at the same time, observers say the leaks highlight divisions between Pakistan's civilian leadership and its powerful military, which typically prefers to balance ties with the rival superpowers.

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