United States lawmaker Riley Moore has criticised China for reportedly warning Washington against possible military intervention in Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians, insisting that Beijing has no authority to dictate America’s foreign policy. In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, Moore backed U.S. President Donald Trump’s position on defending persecuted Christians in Nigeria, stressing that the United States has a moral duty to protect religious freedom.
“President Trump is absolutely right to defend our brothers and sisters in Christ who are enduring severe persecution and even martyrdom for their faith in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ,” he wrote. Moore also condemned China’s human rights record, accusing the country of hypocrisy for attempting to lecture the United States on global issues. “China will not dictate our foreign policy, and we will not be lectured by a communist regime that has recently arrested 30 Christian pastors and continues to detain ethnic minorities in concentration camps,” he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning addressed the issue during a press briefing, saying Beijing strongly opposes any attempt by foreign nations to use religion or human rights as grounds to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. “As Nigeria’s comprehensive strategic partner, China firmly opposes any country using religion and human rights as an excuse to interfere in another nation’s internal matters or to threaten others with sanctions or military force,” Ning said in response to a question about President Trump’s statement.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has urged President Donald Trump to respect Nigeria’s sovereignty and abandon any plans to deploy American troops to the country. Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu, made this known on Monday during an appearance on Russia National TV. Bwala described the allegations of Christian persecution as part of a coordinated media campaign aimed at portraying the Tinubu administration as anti-Christian, noting that independent global observers and reputable civil society groups have found no evidence of state-sponsored religious genocide in Nigeria.
Source: https://saharareporters.com/
