China has voiced firm support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration and warned against any external meddling in Nigeria’s domestic affairs, following a recent threat by U.S. President Donald Trump to launch military action against the country.
Speaking during a press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, reaffirmed Beijing’s opposition to the use of religion or human rights as excuses for interfering in the internal matters of sovereign nations.
“As Nigeria’s comprehensive strategic partner, China firmly supports the Nigerian government in leading its people on a development path that aligns with its national realities,” Mao stated.
She further stressed that “China firmly opposes any country using religion and human rights as a pretext to interfere in the internal affairs of others, or to threaten them with sanctions or military force.”
Mao’s remarks were made in response to Trump’s recent warning of potential military intervention in Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians — a claim the Nigerian government has repeatedly dismissed as false and misleading.
The controversy escalated after the U.S. State Department, on October 31, redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), citing alleged mass killings of Christians, a move that has heightened diplomatic friction between the two countries.
China’s latest statement is widely seen as a gesture of solidarity with Nigeria as tensions rise between the West African nation and the United States.
