Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: CHINA has warned against foreign interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs following threats by US President Donald Trump to launch military action over alleged persecution of Christians.
Speaking at a press conference in Beijing on November 4, Mao Ning, spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, said China “firmly supports the Nigerian government as it leads its people on the development path suited to its national conditions.”
“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,” she said. Ning was responding to Trump’s warning that the United States could “go into Nigeria guns-a-blazing” if the Nigerian government failed to stop what he described as the “killing of Christians.”
The Chinese official also addressed reports that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is seeking military assistance from China, Russia and Iran to prepare for possible US attacks.
“China has a clear-cut stance on the US cracking down on socalled ‘drug cartels’ by force in the Caribbean Sea,” Ning said. “China supports the effort of combating cross-border crimes through stronger international cooperation, and opposes using or threatening to use force in international relations. “We stand against moves that undermine peace and stability in the Latin America and the Caribbean region, and oppose unilateral and excessive ‘enforcement operations’ against other countries’ vessels. We hope the US will engage in normal law enforcement and judicial cooperation through bilateral and multilateral legal frameworks.”
