Suggestions that Mauritius is in secret discussions with China over the Chagos Islands are “absolute nonsense”, Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty said.
Foreign forces are prohibited from building bases in the archipelago as part of the treaty to cede the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), Mr Doughty told the Commons.
The UK will retain control over the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia for at least 99 years, at an average annual cost of £101 million, under the agreement signed by the Government in May.
Shadow Foreign Office minister Wendy Morton raised concerns over the security of the base, as MPs debated the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill.
The draft legislation will put parts of the deal onto the statute book, including the “dissolution of the British Indian Ocean Territory”.
Speaking at committee stage, Ms Morton said: “Promises given by ministers that nothing can happen in the Chagos Archipelago that threatens our interests are already being undermined.
“Mauritius is already in discussions with India about a role they can play in security in the archipelago, and yet the UK is not even in the room.
“If these discussions are taking place without the UK with a friendly country, one can only wonder what discussions are taking place in secret with China and Russia. There has been a report that China is already negotiating with Mauritius for Peros Banhos.”
Intervening, Mr Doughty said: “I want to say on that point, that this is absolute nonsense, and is she willing to provide any evidence that this is going to take place?
“This treaty protects the security of the outer islands and expressly prohibits foreign forces building bases on them, something that her government did not succeed in their negotiations.”
Ms Morton went on to say: “If there are discussions taking place, it would undermine the assurances ministers have given to this House and be an act of bad faith on the part of Mauritius.”
She claimed the Government is “failing to take seriously” the threats China poses to Diego Garcia and the UK’s military assets.
Mr Doughty later went on to say the Conservatives “have raised China, they’ve raised Russia, they’ve raised Iran – why does she think that the United States, our closest security ally, back this deal if there was any possibility of any of the fantasy things that she’s suggesting taking place?”.
He added: “They can’t take place. The treaty prevents them. She clearly hasn’t read it.”
Ms Morton replied: “It can be very easy to back something when you don’t have to pay for it.”
The shadow minister pressed for an amendment which would require parliamentary approval for any payments to Mauritius by the UK Government under the treaty.
Another Conservative amendment put to MPs would prevent the treaty from coming into force until legal advice or risk assessments regarding the UK’s ability to extend its rights over Diego Garcia after the initial 99 years was published.
