U.S. lawmaker Riley Moore has slammed China over its reported warning to Washington against plans for military intervention in Nigeria, insisting that Beijing cannot dictate America’s foreign policy.
In a post shared on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, Moore backed President Donald Trump’s position on defending persecuted Christians in Nigeria, saying the U.S. has a moral duty to protect 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,” Moore wrote.
He also accused China of hypocrisy, citing its poor human rights record.
> “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,” he added.
Moore’s comments came amid rising diplomatic tension after Chinese officials warned the U.S. against what they called “unwarranted interference” in Nigeria’s internal affairs, following threats of American military intervention to protect Christian communities.
Earlier, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, had declared Beijing’s “unwavering support” for Nigeria, emphasizing that no country should use religion or human rights as an excuse to interfere in another nation’s domestic issues.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has urged President Trump to respect the country’s sovereignty. Daniel Bwala, an aide to President Bola Tinubu, dismissed allegations of state-backed religious persecution, calling them part of a media campaign aimed at discrediting the administration.
