United States (US) lawmaker Riley Moore has rebuked China for cautioning Washington against possible military intervention in Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians, insisting that Beijing has no right to dictate America’s foreign policy.
In a post shared on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, Moore threw his weight behind US President Donald Trump’s position on defending persecuted Christians in Nigeria.
He described America’s intervention as a moral duty to uphold religious freedom.
"President Trump is absolutely right to defend our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering horrific persecution, and even martyrdom, for their faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," the congressman wrote.
He accused China of hypocrisy, pointing to its own human rights record and treatment of ethnic and religious minorities.
"China will not dictate our foreign policy to us, and we will not be lectured to by a Communist autocracy that recently arrested 30 Christian pastors for their faith and throws ethnic minorities in concentration camps," Moore added.
His comments follow heightened diplomatic tensions after Chinese officials warned Washington against what they described as "unwarranted interference" in Nigeria’s internal affairs.
Beijing’s warning came in response to President Trump’s statement threatening direct US military action to protect Christian communities amid rising violence and killings in parts of Nigeria.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning reaffirmed Beijing’s support for Nigeria, saying the country "firmly opposes any attempt to use religion and human rights as excuses to interfere in another nation’s internal affairs."
"As Nigeria’s comprehensive strategic partner, China stands firmly with Nigeria as it leads its people on a development path suited to its national conditions," Mao said.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has also urged Washington to respect its sovereignty.
Presidential aide Daniel Bwala, speaking on Russia National TV, dismissed the genocide claims as a media ploy to discredit President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Bwala maintained that independent observers and civil society groups have found no evidence of state-sponsored persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
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