WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD: In the US National Security Strategy 2022, which names China as "America's most critical geopolitical adversary," Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which were once seen as important friends of Washington, are not even named.

Although terrorism and other geo-strategic dangers in the South and Central Asian region are mentioned in the 48-page report, unlike recent years, Pakistan is not mentioned as an ally that is required to combat those threats, as per reports.

Pakistan was not included in the 2021 strategy paper either. The exclusion is interpreted in Washington as a reflection of a shared desire to forge a unique US relationship with Pakistan.

According to Dawn, Islamabad has long claimed that the US merely uses Pakistan as a tool to counteract threats from Afghanistan and other countries. Both US and Pakistani authorities have recently emphasised the necessity of separating Pakistan from both India and Afghanistan and giving it the distinct identity it rightfully deserves as a nuclear state with more than 220 million citizens.

US officials have admitted that Pakistan wants to keep its tight connections with China, which is why it isn't considered an ally in the US effort to oppose China's dominance in the region.

After China, Russia is cited as the second biggest threat to US interests around the world, and it is denounced for starting a "brutal and unprovoked war" on Ukraine. Only two countries -- Russia and China --have separate chapters in the document.

The two-fold strategy underlines  climate change, inflation, pandemics and economic insecurity, as big a threat to US interests as growing competition with major powers like China and Russia. "If we lose time this decade, we will not be able to maintain pace with most notably the climate crisis.

Saudi Arabia's exclusion from the document came after the kingdom-led oil cartel decided to reduce output by two million barrels per day, according to sources. This move led to an increase in the already-high gas prices in the US.
When pressed to explain the absence, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters in Washington that "we are re-evaluating the relationship with Saudi Arabia, and this is a partnership that has lasted for decades."

As the US and Saudi Arabia consider the future of their relationship, President Joe Biden was "doing so with the intention of looking out for US interests and principles," Sullivan said.

US firepower on display in joint combat drills in the Philippines

Putin "miscalculated" Russia's capacity to occupy Ukraine, according to Joe Biden

China issues visas to 1,300 Indian students after two years Wait for Covid-19