[By Guancha Observer Network, Zhang Jingjuan] On local time May 22nd, the UK and Mauritius signed an agreement, officially transferring the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to the latter, but the Diego Garcia military base in the region will be leased by Mauritius to the UK and the United States.

According to Hong Kong-based English-language media South China Morning Post, UK Defense Secretary John Healey (John Healey) still didn't forget to play the "China card" at a press conference, claiming that China, Russia, and Iran hope to see this agreement "fail".

He also stated that allies including the United States, India, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada support the agreement. "The value of the agreement is beyond doubt."

On the same day, UK Prime Minister Starmer also attended the press conference, stating that this multi-billion-dollar agreement ensures the UK's 99-year usage rights for the military base, which is "an important investment in our national security."

The Chagos Islands are located about 2,100 kilometers northeast of Mauritius Island in the Indian Ocean and have been under British control since 1814. In 1965, the UK separated the Chagos Islands from Mauritius and jointly established a military base on Diego Garcia, the largest island. To build the military base, nearly 2,000 residents were forcibly removed from the island.

Reports indicate that in recent years, the Indo-Pacific region has become the center of geopolitical tensions, with Western countries led by the United States seeking to compete for influence, maritime control, and technological leadership in the region.

Starmer said that after reaching the agreement, the UK will ensure strong protection for the base, including immunity from malicious influences, allowing it to continue operating throughout the next century.

He emphasized that the location of the base is "crucial" for the UK, covering "terrorist air deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan to threat warnings in the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific region."

In criticizing the Conservative Party and Reform Party of the UK for their doubts about the agreement, Starmer dragged in China, claiming that they were shockingly aligned with Russia, China, and Iran.

On local time May 22, 2025, London, UK, UK Prime Minister Starmer (center) announced the signing of the agreement with the government of Mauritius. IC Photo

It was reported that the two major opposition parties in the UK made groundless accusations against China, claiming that the cost of the agreement was too high and might benefit China. According to the agreement, the UK will pay Mauritius $136 million annually.

Reports indicated that China has close relations with Mauritius. The UK is concerned that if Mauritius takes control of the islands around Diego Garcia, China may gain unrestricted passage rights in this critical shipping route in the region.

Starmer then said that without a formal agreement, the UK cannot "prevent China or any other country from establishing their own bases on peripheral islands."

This UK leader added that the US will cover the "operating costs" of the base and mentioned "different contributions in different aspects."

On the same day, US Secretary of State Rubio welcomed the signing of the agreement.

Rubio wrote in a statement: "Although the US is not a party to the agreement, we have a responsibility to operate the US Naval Support Base on Diego Garcia Island."

He claimed that the base will continue to "play a key role in supporting forward-deployed combat forces and advancing regional security."

Healey detailed the agreement, stating that it ensures "full control" over the sea and sky near Diego Garcia Island and "protection of the electromagnetic spectrum used for intelligence gathering, communications, and radar."

The Diego Garcia military base is used by the US military to deploy naval vessels and long-range bombers. During airstrikes in Afghanistan and Iraq, the US military repeatedly dispatched aircraft from this base.

Reports indicated that this secret base still deploys US nuclear-capable bombers and nuclear-powered submarines, and its importance continues to increase over time.

At the last moment, legal resistance emerged.

A few hours before the signing of the agreement, the lawyer representing a British citizen born in the Chagos Islands obtained a temporary injunction, delaying the signing of the agreement.

This temporary injunction is the latest legal action taken by Chagos Islanders over the past twenty years, many of whom were forcibly removed from the Chagos Islands more than fifty years ago and eventually arrived in the UK.

Bertrice Pompe, a Briton born on Diego Garcia Island, criticized the agreement for excluding the Chagos people.

UK High Court Judge Martin Chamberlain lifted the temporary injunction late Thursday evening after a hearing, stating that if the injunction continued, it would cause "substantial harm" to UK interests.

Starmer warned that any legal setbacks to the agreement could disrupt the operation of the Diego Garcia base and potentially endanger its security within "months."

Diego Garcia, the largest island of the Chagos Islands, Associated Press

After Mauritius gained independence in 1968, it has long been striving for the return of the Chagos Islands and has won international support. In 2019, the International Court of Justice ruled that the UK's occupation of the Chagos Islands was illegal and demanded that the UK return the sovereignty as soon as possible. The United Nations General Assembly also passed a resolution the same year urging the UK to return these islands as soon as possible.

In late January 2021, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) ruled that the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands does not belong to the UK. The ITLOS determined that the previous judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had legal force and stated that "the decolonization process is not yet complete, and the sovereignty of Mauritius over the Chagos Islands can be presumed by the ICJ's judgment."

However, the UK government has consistently refused to recognize these rulings and has refused to return the Chagos Islands. Former UK Minister for Armed Forces James Heappey even claimed that the ruling of the ocean court had "no impact" on the UK.

Until 2022, the UK and Mauritius began negotiations regarding the ownership of these islands. In July 2024, after the Labour Party won the general election, new Prime Minister Starmer listed resolving the Chagos Islands issue as a priority. In October of the same year, the UK agreed to abandon its sovereignty over the Chagos Islands and transfer them to Mauritius.

However, this plan was further delayed after US President Trump took office in January this year, as the UK wanted to give the new US administration time to review the details. It wasn't until February this year that Trump clearly expressed his support for the agreement.

Currently, the dispute between the UK and Mauritius has finally come to an end, but the UK still controls other colonies overseas, such as the Falkland Islands (Argentina calls them the Malvinas Islands) within Argentina's territorial waters. In 1982, Argentina and the UK went to war over the sovereignty of the Falklands, ending in victory for the UK. However, Argentina has never given up its claim to the Falklands, while the UK has long adopted a strategy of delay and evasion.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7507475647862686262/

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