The UK and Mauritius signed an agreement in May 2025 (following initial political agreement in October 2024) to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius.

The agreement was designed to resolve a long-running sovereignty dispute dating back to the islands’ separation from Mauritius in the 1960s.

Thousands of Mauritian government and local officials have participated in China-sponsored “specialised courses” and training programs in recent years. These cover topics like capacity building, public sector management, AI integration, and other administrative skills- often funded by China.

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Beijing-sponsored ‘training’ for government workers is a national security risk, say MPs

Thousands of Mauritian officials have been travelling to China for “specialised courses” before the planned handover of the Chagos Islands. The Telegraph has the story.

Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to cede sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius has been called a national security risk because of the nation’s close links to China.

Reports from the Mauritian government reveal the scale of its relationship with the communist superpower. More than 6,000 officials from the government and local authorities have been trained by the Chinese in everything from “capacity building” to integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into the public sector.

The figures include “many who travelled to China for specialised courses”. Hundreds more are to receive training from Beijing in the months ahead.

The Tories warned it was evidence officials in Mauritius had been “indoctrinated” by Beijing.

Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, said the training posed a “real risk” to Britain’s national security.

She told The Telegraph: “Thousands of Mauritian officials are being trained and indoctrinated by China as they increase their influence and control over Mauritius.

“Despite the real risk this poses to our national security interests, our weak and feeble Prime Minister is continuing to promote Labour’s £35bn Chagos surrender.

“China will hold increasing influence and leverage over Mauritius, which will threaten our interests if Keir Starmer gives away the Chagos Islands, given the treaty will require the UK disclosing confidential information about operations on the Diego Garcia military base.

“Handing over control of the Chagos Islands to an ally of China is a huge strategic blunder and costly mistake.”

Under the terms of the deal, the UK would hand over the archipelago to Mauritius and lease back the Diego Garcia military base, a facility built there in the 1970s that has been used by the UK and the US.

There have been mounting fears about the implications for British and American security, with the White House concerned the plan could expose the US to spying by China.

In July 2025, Mauritius and China committed to “advance cooperation in capacity building, training programmes, and efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into the public service sector”.

Read the full story here.