UK stalls Chagos Islands deal until Trump administration can ‘consider detail’

Future of Diego Garcia military base should be considered before handover to Mauritius signed off, No 10 says

The UK government will not sign off a deal to hand back the Chagos Islands to Mauritius until Donald Trump's administration has had a chance to consider the future of the joint military base, Downing Street has confirmed.

Allies of the US president-elect have been critical of the deal because of the implications for the strategically important Diego Garcia base, with concerns that it could bolster Chinese interests in the Indian Ocean.