BEIJING, Jan 6 (INP): President Donald Trump’s tweet attacking Pakistan on account of terrorism is pushing Islamabad deeper into Beijing and Moscow’s sphere of influence, says South China Morning Post. A report published in the Hong Kong’s based daily says, following the President Trump’s provocative tweet, China suddenly finds its leverage over Pakistan. Alongside his tweets about North Korea, Trump opened the year by letting fly at Pakistan, which he attacked for not doing enough to root out jihadists. According to the report, Trump’s tweet reflects his growing frustration with Pakistan for not properly tackling the Haqqani network and the Afghan Taliban. However, it remains unclear what exactly Trump’s comments will achieve. Islamabad is unlikely to yield as it believes that that its war against terrorism is going on across the board.. Trump might only succeed in pushing Islamabad deeper into Beijing and Moscow’s sphere of influence. After Trump’s tweet, China sprang to Pakistan’s defence, saying the world should acknowledge its all-weather friend’s “outstanding contribution” to counterterrorism. China supports Pakistan’s position of seeking rapprochement with the Taliban and eventually giving them a central role in any political settlement in Afghanistan. Trump’s outburst came at a particularly opportune time for China, which has been facing uncharacteristic resistance from Pakistan over its high-stakes US$62 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project that runs from the deep-water Pakistani port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea to China’s Xinjiang province. INP/J/AH