Dare Babalola
China has expressed strong support for Nigeria amid tensions with the United States over human rights issues, warning against the use of human rights as a pretext for interference in other countries’ internal affairs.
China’s stance was clearly articulated on Tuesday by Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, in a press briefing.
The Chinese government says it firmly supports the President Bola Tinubu administration as it “leads its people on the development path suited to its national conditions”.
Ning said “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.”
Ning was answering a question on US President Donald Trump’s threat of military action in Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians.
This is coming on the heels of a sharp diplomatic standoff triggered by Trump’s decision on Friday to designate Nigeria a “country of particular concern” (CPC) for alleged persecution of Christians.
Trump’s move was met with immediate rejection by Nigeria’s Presidency and by President Bola Tinubu, who insisted that “religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so” and contended that the U.S. characterisation “does not reflect our national reality.”
