The White House is concerned that Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands will expose the United States to spying by Chinese boats.
Senior members of Donald Trump’s administration fear handing control over the waters around around the Diego Garcia military base to China-allied Mauritius would open the door to espionage by sea.
It is thought that Beijing operates a fleet of vessels disguised as fishing boats to carry out espionage missions in its neighbours’ exclusive economic zones.
