China benefits over America in a recent agreement between the United Kingdom and Mauritius over the sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago, seven atolls comprising about 60 islands in the Indian Ocean.
The agreement’s end result is a strategic loss for the U.S. that releases the U.K.’s sovereign control over the archipelago to Mauritius, including the island of Diego Garcia—home to a key military base.
The agreement includes U.K. support to Mauritius for economic welfare and maritime security in the archipelago. By maintaining an economic relationship with Mauritius, some British soft power is preserved.
However, the deal leaves the Chagos Archipelago vulnerable to Chinese influence after over half a century of the U.K.’s stabilizing control over the islands in the Indian Ocean.
Of most concern is the increased vulnerability of the strategically important…
