A member of the United States Congress, Rep. Riley M. Moore, has declared that China will not dictate America’s foreign policy, while defending President Donald Trump’s warning to intervene in Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Moore the representative for West Virginia’s 2nd congressional district, said President Trump was right to stand up for Christians facing violent attacks in Nigeria, stressing that the U.S. has a moral responsibility to defend freedom of religion worldwide.

“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,” Moore said.

He added, “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’s remarks followed China’s sharp criticism of the U.S. after Trump named Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over alleged violations of religious freedom.

Reacting to Trump’s declaration, the spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mao Ning, had cautioned Washington against “interfering in Nigeria’s internal affairs,” insisting that Beijing firmly supports President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government.

“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 or force,” Mao said at a press briefing in Beijing.

She described Nigeria as a “comprehensive strategic partner,” stressing that China will continue to support the country’s sovereignty and independent development path.

Trump’s remarks last week that he could consider military action if Christian killings in Nigeria persist have generated diplomatic tension, drawing mixed reactions from global leaders.

While China and some African governments accused the U.S. of meddling, conservative lawmakers like Moore argue that America’s commitment to human rights must remain non-negotiable, regardless of Beijing’s position.

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Experts have suggested that Nigeria may become another arena of diplomatic dissension between China and the United States which may further strain relations between the two major world superpowers.

The threat of US military intervention in Nigeria over perceived failure of the Nigerian government to tackle alleged genocide against Christians by militant Islamic jihadists has triggered reaction from the Chinese government, which warned against such action, saying it will violate Nigeria’s sovereignty.

China, on Tuesday, urged the international community to respect Nigeria’s sovereignty following the US threat of military action.

A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the People’s Republic of China’s website, quoted the Spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning, as saying this during a press briefing on Tuesday in Beijing.

“As Nigeria’s strategic partner, China opposes any attempt by foreign powers to use religion or human rights as a pretext to meddle in another country’s internal affairs or impose sanctions and military threats,” she said.

Ning restated China’s support for President Bola Tinubu-led administration, commending the government for guiding the country along a development path tailored to its national conditions.

Reacting to this development, Nigerian experts in international affairs said China’s reaction was based on the recent Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreement both countries signed last year in Beijing, which was an upgraded version of the two countries’ diplomatic relations.

Speaking on Tuesday, Director of the Centre for China Studies, an Abuja-based intellectual think tank, Charles Onunaiju, said the Chinese government “extended solidarity to Nigeria during trying time based on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”.

Onunaiju added that China does not want a misjudgment of the Nigerian situation to levy war on the country which will complicate things for the country.

He added that, “China denounces the method of US President Donald Trump, which does not align with the standard of the international community based on rules.”

Also speaking  on Tuesday, another expert in international affairs and diplomacy, Dr Austin Maho, noted that Beijing’s reaction to the US threat of interference reflects China’s quest for the sovereign right of Nigeria and the need to protect its strategic partner from the chaos that may ensue from military intervention.

“Based on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership China sees it as a duty to protect Nigeria from external aggression disguised as fighting insecurity,” Maho said.

China and Nigeria, in In September 2024, established a comprehensive strategic partnership after both sides established strategic partnership in 2005.

The two countries held their first strategic dialogues in 2009. In January 2021, the two countries established the China-Nigeria Intergovernmental Committee mechanism.

However, in the event of any US military action against Nigeria, China will not assist Nigeria militarily as the partnership is not a military pact requiring China to defend Nigeria in the event of such intervention.

Nigeria can only rely on China’s diplomatic support.

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Former Chief of Army Staff and ex-Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.), has said that the United States of America was looking for an opportunity to establish a military base in Nigeria following its invasion threats.

Dambazau made the claim on Tuesday in Abuja at an event organised by the Just Friends Club of Nigeria.

He linked recent narratives by foreign politicians and religious figures — particularly from the US — alleging persecution of Christians in Nigeria to possible external interests.

He cited what he described as propaganda promoted by some US congressmen and Catholic clergymen, including claims of “Christian genocide” in the country.

Dambazau also referenced reported remarks by US President Donald Trump, who allegedly designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” and instructed the US Department of War to prepare for “possible operations to defend Nigerian Christians.”

According to him, religious tensions in Nigeria were being amplified and misrepresented.

“Religious tensions have been amplified by both domestic and foreign actors, sometimes resulting in the mischaracterization of security incidents as targeting specific faith groups, despite their widespread impact,” he said.

Dambazau argued that terrorism in Nigeria is driven by broader regional instability in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, not by religious persecution, saying both Muslims and Christians have been victims.

He questioned the effectiveness of past US military presence in West Africa.

“In the more than ten years of U.S. presence in Niger, where it maintained two military bases, what did the U.S. do to prevent the growth of security challenges?” he asked.

“I think the U.S. is looking for an opportunity to establish an alternative base in Nigeria, a country known to protect only its interests by any means possible, including the use of force.”

He added that the U.S. had previously faced accusations — including from American lawmakers — of USAID allegedly financing terrorism in Africa.

Dambazau said Nigeria’s lack of capacity to protect citizens has worsened insecurity, pointing to the March 2022 Abuja–Kaduna train attack and the subsequent Kuje prison invasion.

“It is evident that Nigeria lacks the capacity to protect people and property against criminal attacks, especially in rural communities,” he said.

He warned that armed groups have gained control in several regions, forcing communities to negotiate with criminals for protection.

“Recently, communities in Zamfara and Katsina decided to sign agreements with the bandits to avoid their attacks, and by implication, the people are now relying on the bandits for protection,” he added.

Dambazau urged national unity in confronting insecurity and cautioned against allowing external powers to exploit Nigeria’s internal divisions.

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