You Can’t Dictate Our Foreign Policy - US Rep Hits Back at China Over Nigeria Comment

US Congressman Riley Moore has fired back at China, insisting that the Asian nation has no right to dictate or criticise America’s foreign policy after Beijing condemned Donald Trump’s warning of military action in Nigeria.

The row began after Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning criticised US President Trump’s comments threatening military intervention in Nigeria to “protect Christians from persecution.”

Ning said China, as Nigeria’s “comprehensive strategic partner, firmly opposes any country using religion and human rights as an excuse to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs or threaten them with sanctions and force.”

Her statement triggered a swift backlash in Washington.

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In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Congressman Moore dismissed Beijing’s position, calling China a “Communist autocracy” that has no moral authority to lecture the United States.

“President Trump is absolutely right to defend our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering horrific persecution and even martyrdom for their faith,” 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.”

Moore, a Republican and vocal Trump ally, argued that the US has a moral duty to defend global religious freedom, while accusing China of hypocrisy on human rights.

The exchange adds to a growing list of flashpoints between the world’s two largest economies, whose relationship has been marked by strategic competition, trade tensions, and geopolitical rivalry.

While China’s foreign policy, as articulated by President Xi Jinping, emphasises non-interference, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence, Washington’s global approach prioritises security, prosperity, and the protection of American interests.

Analysts say Trump’s remarks, though controversial, reflect a broader American strategy of moral positioning against Beijing’s expanding influence in Africa.

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China remains Africa’s biggest trading partner, investing heavily in infrastructure and energy. The United States, however, has faced criticism for aid cuts, stalled trade programmes, and shrinking diplomatic presence on the continent.

Meanwhile, both ECOWAS and the European Union (EU) have reaffirmed support for Nigeria’s sovereignty, urging global powers to respect the country’s internal processes while helping West Africa fight terrorism.

As tensions between Washington and Beijing escalate, observers suggest that Nigeria and other African nations may once again be drawn into navigating the rivalry between the two superpowers.