US has reaffirmed that Pakistan is still its strategic partner with a clarification that Islamabad does not need to strain its relationships with Beijing to maintain ties with Washington.

Ties between the US and Pakistan came under discussion in a press briefing by US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price on Wednesday when a reporter asked a question referring to Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks in the Indian parliament in which he said that Pakistan and China are closer than ever due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ineffective foreign policies.

"Does the State Department agree with that [Gandhi's] assessment," asked a reporter.

Price said: "I will leave it to the Pakistanis and the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] to speak to their relationship. I certainly would not endorse those remarks."

This was followed by another question in which the reporter asked why the US thinks Pakistan was closely working with China, adding: "Do you think they [Pakistan] feel abandoned by the US?"

In a detailed repose, the US State Department spokesperson said it was not a requirement for any country around the world to choose between the United States and China.

"It is our intention to provide choices to countries when it comes to what the relationship with the United States looks like. And we think relationship with the United States conveys a series of advantages that countries typically would not find when it comes to the sorts of relationships that the China has sought to have around the world.

"Pakistan is a strategic partner of the United States. We have an important relationship with the government in Islamabad, and it’s a relationship that we value across a number of fronts," the spokesperson added.

Speaking in the parliament, Rahul had said: "India's single most important strategic goal has been to keep China and Pakistan apart but what you have done has only brought them together."

The Indian opposition leader accused the Modi-led government of committing the biggest crime it could commit against India.

Taking to Twitter, South Asian policy expert Michael Kugelman pointed out that Pak-China "have thrived since long before Modi’s BJP even existed."

However, Kugelman added that ties between Beijing and Islamabad have indeed strengthened in recent years due to PM Modi's moves, that included repealing Article 370 related to the autonomous status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. "But most drivers of current partnership predate Modi (Chinese investment in South Asia, shared rivalry with India, US-Pak problems, US-China rivalry, US-India growth)."