A member of the US House of Representatives, Riley Moore, has declared that China has no authority to dictate America’s foreign policy, following Beijing’s criticism of President Donald Trump’s threat of military action in Nigeria to “protect Christians from persecution.”
On Wednesday, Mao Ning, spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, said that “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.”
Reacting in a post on X (formerly Twitter), Moore rejected Beijing’s position, describing China as a “communist autocracy.”
“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 Savior Jesus Christ,” Moore said.
“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.”
CONFRONTATION OR CONTAINMENT?
Tensions between the United States and China continue to escalate, rooted in competing global power ambitions and conflicting strategic interests, particularly across Africa.
China remains the largest trading partner for many African nations and promotes its foreign policy under President Xi Jinping based on principles such as mutual respect for sovereignty, non-aggression, non-interference, and peaceful co-existence.
By contrast, Washington’s policies — marked by foreign aid cuts, tariffs, and internal political divisions — have fueled debates over America’s waning influence in Africa.
According to the US State Department, every foreign policy decision must align with America’s core national interests, asking: “Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous?”
Meanwhile, both the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union (EU) have reaffirmed their commitment to Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, urging the international community to unite in the fight against terrorism across West Africa.