If the UK Tries to Give Away the Chagos Islands, the US Can Take Them
Anything less risks a new Chinese military base in the Indian Ocean.
Supporters and members of the British Indian Ocean territory Chagos Archipelago hold placards and the territory's flag outside the Houses of Parliament to protest against a proposed plan by the British government to hand over the islands to Mauritius, in London on Jan. 7, 2026. Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images
Diego Garcia is an island military base in the middle of the Indian Ocean, built and long-occupied by both U.S. and UK military forces. The base is used for long-range nuclear bombers, submarines, and aerial refuelers, making it critical to U.S. national security and necessary for the global projection of U.S. power into Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Anders Corr
Author
Anders Corr has a bachelor’s/master’s in political science from Yale University (2001) and a doctorate in government from Harvard University (2008). He is a principal at Corr Analytics Inc. and publisher of the Journal of Political Risk, and has conducted extensive research in North America, Europe, and Asia. His latest books are “The Concentration of Power: Institutionalization, Hierarchy, and Hegemony” (2021) and “Great Powers, Grand Strategies: the New Game in the South China Sea” (2018).
