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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