China has cautioned the United States against interfering in Nigeria’s internal affairs, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent threat of military action over alleged persecution of Christians.
Gatekeepers News reports that on Tuesday, while speaking at a press briefing in Beijing, Mao Ning, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Beijing “firmly supports the Nigerian government as it leads its people on the development path suited to its national conditions.”
“As Nigeria’s comprehensive strategic partner, China firmly opposes any country using religion and human rights as an excuse to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, and threatening other countries with sanctions and force,” Mao stated.
Mao’s comments came in response to questions about Trump’s warning that the U.S. Department of War had been instructed to “prepare for possible action” in Nigeria.
On Saturday, the U.S. leader accused the Nigerian government of allowing the killing of Christians, saying:
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing’, to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”
Trump added that any attack “will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians.”
Beijing’s reaction came as Mao also fielded questions about reports that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was seeking military equipment from China, Russia, and Iran amid fears of U.S. aggression.
“China has a clear-cut stance on the U.S. cracking down on so-called ‘drug cartels’ by force in the Caribbean Sea,” Mao said. “China supports the effort of combating cross-border crimes through stronger international cooperation, and opposes using or threatening to use force in international relations.”
She added:
“We stand against moves that undermine peace and stability in the Latin America and the Caribbean region, and oppose unilateral and excessive ‘enforcement operations’ against other countries’ vessels. We hope the U.S. will engage in normal law enforcement and judicial cooperation through bilateral and multilateral legal frameworks.”
The Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected claims of a Christian genocide in the country.
Responding to Trump’s remarks, President Bola Tinubu said the characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant “does not reflect our national reality.”
“Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so. Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it,” Tinubu said in a statement, stressing that the government continues to protect the rights of all Nigerians regardless of faith.
