Incoming US President Donald Trump is set to rule on the future of the Chagos Islands after Labour put negotiations “on hold” at the request of his team.
Senior members of Trump’s team demanded Britain delay the signing of a deal until he was back in office, The Telegraph reports.
Incoming secretary of state Marco Rubio and White House national security advisor Mike Waltz are amog those who have expressed worry that giving away the islands to Mauritius could aid the Chinese military.
The president-elect is expected to review the deal after his inauguration on Monday – once he is briefed on the security concerns.
Senior members of Trump’s team demanded Britain delay the signing of a deal
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Trump will be shown classified intelligence about the Diego Garcia airbase as well as briefings on the ownership of the islands.
A UK government source confirmed Friday that Sir Keir Starmer had agreed to delay announcing a deal after pressure from the Trump team.
The source said the two governments had been having discussions, adding: “It’s only right that they look at it, and we look forward to having those conversations about a range of details in the deal after the inauguration.”
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Speaking to the Financial Times on Friday, Starmer said he believed it was right for Trump to look over the deal.
This was later confirmed by No 10, abandoning any plans the Government had of signing a deal before his inauguration.
Mauritius has also conceded that Trump would have the final say.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Dhananjay Ramful, the Mauritian foreign minister said: “You can’t reach a deal behind the back of a new government.”
Meanwhile, rumours have circulated that Trump wants to block the deal entirely.
Republican senator John Kennedy, who opposes the deal, met with Lord Godson of the London think tank Policy Exchange this week to discuss the deal.
Godson said: “The Trump team are sensing a great deal of concern from the GOP caucus in the House and the Senate about the relentless legal maximalism of the UK Government.”
“It is filtering up to incoming executive officials.”
Rumors have circulated that Trump wants to block the deal entirely
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The first few weeks of the Trump presidency are expected to be dominated by relations with China, with the president-elect already starting talks before his inauguration.
On Friday, he claimed he had a “very good” phone call with Chinese president Xi Jinping, saying: “It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together,” he said, adding: “President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the world more peaceful and safe!”
The two presidents discussed trade relations and the future of the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok, which is set to be banned in the US.
At the same time, Trump has vowed new tariffs on Chinese-made imports, with members of his team describing the superpower as a threat to a America.
Lord Mandelson, the incoming UK ambassador to the US, warned that Beijing “directly challenges” Western governments and values.
However, the UK has been seeking closer relations with China. This comes as Chancellor Rachel Reeves flew to the country last week for trade negotiations.
