The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Beijing

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari hailed China as "the future of the world" ahead of his arrival in Beijing on Tuesday for a trip that is expected to see him seek urgent financial help.

Zardari made it clear in an interview with China's official Xinhua news agency that building economic ties would be his top priority during his four-day trip, his first state visit anywhere since taking office in September.

"China is the future of the world. A strong China means a strong Pakistan," Xinhua quoted Zardari as saying in an interview in Islamabad on Monday ahead of his departure.

His comments come as Islamabad's alliance with Washington in the "war on terror" falls on rocky ground due to Pakistan's inability to shut down Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters based in its tribal belt. Zardari, due to arrive in Beijing at 6:00 pm (1000 GMT), inherited a country on the brink of bankruptcy and plagued by huge security problems from Islamic extremists.

The global financial crisis has pushed Pakistan closer to the financial edge, with reports-denied by Islamabad-that it faces bankruptcy as early as February.

And while Pakistan has looked to the United States for financial help, it is also one of China's closest allies in Asia, with Beijing seeing the country as a counter-balance to rival India.

China has boosted its economic interests in Pakistan in recent years, funding major infrastructure, engineering and mining projects, including a deep sea port, as well as helping develop its nuclear power industry.